Robert R. (Bob) Turner reported to final formation on Father’s Day, June 19th, 2022, at Coleman County Medical Center, fitting for a man that was a father figure to many.
Bob was born on August 10th, 1934, at Overall-Morris Memorial Hospital. A lifelong resident of Coleman County, Bob attended school at Voss, and then Mozelle where he graduated in 1951. Dad then enlisted in the Army and joined the 36th Infantry Division in 1952. During Basic Training Bob and his fellow soldiers would train under Captain Audi Murphy for bayonet drills. A “Four-deuce” mortar man, he would eventually earn the rank of Sergeant First Class. A Mustang, he then received a direct commission to 1st Lieutenant after graduating OCS in 1968 where he then transferred to the 490th Civil Affairs Company in Abilene, Texas. Bob would graduate from the Command and General Staff College, and later command the 490th at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his near 35 years of service, dad earned the Expert Infantryman Badge, and was awarded the “Ehrenkreuz der Bundeswehr in Silber” by the Federal Republic of Germany for prestigious service for negotiations between the U.S., NATO, and the FRG during The Cold War.
Bob owned and operated Bob Turner’s Western Wear from 1958 to 1978, then farmed and ranched at the old homestead in Voss. He would lead the singing at the old two-story Methodist church. Although it was a small congregation, his beautiful booming voice would make the few worshipers sound like a multitude of voices. Bob was a regular on the Slim Willet show on KRBC out of Abilene, and he whistled and sang while strumming his old six string on many of KSTA’s radio broadcasts back in the day.
Bob would become the Vice President of the Texas Farm Bureau, and then was asked to get into politics in a special election in 1991 for the Texas House of Representatives. Bob would go on to serve 12 years where he would chair The House Public Safety Committee and was member of other committees such as the Military Affairs Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Governor’s Task Force for Homeland Security. Bob always surrounded himself with loyal, hardworking people, and constantly bragged on his staff and loved them dearly. For several years after he got out of politics, he would still gather his “has beens” together in the Fall for an evening of catching up and reminiscing.
Bob, however, couldn’t stay out of the political scene for long. He soon created Bob Turner Rural Issues Consulting and would work hard to become “The Voice” of Rural Texas. He loved working with great organizations such as the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association, the Texas Poultry Foundation, the Earthmoving Contractors Association of Texas, the Independent Cattlemen’s Association, and the Texas Forestry Association to name a few.
LTC Turner is preceded in death by his parents Willard and Hellen (LaLonge) Turner, his brother Kenneth Turner. Wife Ann (Holt) Turner, and wife Mona Faye (Cook) Turner. He is survived by his stepson Steven Saloman of Gouldbusk, Texas; his three sons, Sam and Mary Joe Turner, and family of Denton, Texas; Darrel and Leslie Turner and family of Everson, Washington; and Gary Turner and family of Midland, Texas; seven grandchildren, one great granddaughter, and many, many friends he considered family.
A special thank you to the caring, and hard-working doctors and nurses at Coleman County Medical Center, Steven Saloman, Benny Luera, and Molly Berry who worked so hard to help dad through these last few months. Also, a special thank you to everyone who continually stayed in touch with him through visits, phone calls, emails and texts.
The family will host a visitation from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, June 23, 2022, at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, 400 W. Pecan Street, in Coleman.
Family and friends are invited to a funeral service at 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 24, 2022, at the First United Methodist Church, 500 W. Liveoak Street, in Coleman. Interment will follow in the Voss Cemetery. Services are entrusted to Stevens Funeral Home in Coleman.
In lieu of flowers please send memorial donations to Loaves and Fishes Food Ministry, 519 W. Pecan Street, Coleman, Texas 76834, Voss Cemetery Association, or the Gouldbusk Cemetery Association C/O Kaci Danek, 501 County Road 307, Gouldbusk, Texas 76845.
Remembrances and condolences can be expressed to the family via the virtual guestbook on Bob’s tribute page at www.stevensfuneralhome.com. Stevens Funeral Home is honored to serve the Turner family.