James O. Turner

DAD (Read by his son, Jim, at the memorial service. These words reflected the love and admiration of his four children, Paul, Becky, Jim and Jenny.)How do you capture a life of 85 years in just a few words? It’s not possible, but I want to provide a few thoughts in tribute to my Dad and why we honor his life today. When I think of Dad, the word proud comes to mind. Not an arrogant selfish pride, but pride in people and entities in his life. He was proud of his heritage, as humble as it was. He was proud of WV, his upbringing in “MacDowell Co, his life in St. Albans and his retirement years as an East Tennessean. He kept up with the things going on in these areas and was always quick to let us know about the latest projects and happenings going on. He was proud of his friends, the people in this room. He celebrated the good things in your lives and was saddened by your struggles. He was proud of the organizations that he devoted time and energy to: of their accomplishments and how they served others. His pride shone brightest when it came to his family. I am sure many of you in this room have heard him brag about his family. I was sometimes embarrassed when he would introduce me to his friends and then brag about me concerning some small item in my life, but at the same time it also always felt good to get that confirmation from your Dad.My brother Paul mentioned to Pastor Mike that Dad was a worker, he knew that was not the right word, but at the moment we could not come up with the right one. A better word is doer or participant. Growing up, Dad was always doing something. He took the apostle Paul’s warning against idleness to heart. Gardening, beekeeping, winemaking, meat curing, business building, hunting, fishing, camping, every DIY project known to man, volunteering, politicking, socializing, antiquing, etc. Until the last part of his life when he learned to enjoy Mountaineer football, Volunteer football and grandkids soccer, Dad was never one to sit and watch sports. Mom and us kids always enjoyed watching sports and I sometimes regretted that Dad did not share that with us. However, I have come to realize that Dad never wanted to be a spectator. He wanted to be a participant. He sought out activities where he could be part of the action. I imagine that if given the choice by our Lord, Dad has chosen the mansion that needs a little work done and he has already started at least a half dozen projects.The word teacher comes to mind when I think about Dad. Not only did he enjoy doing many different things, but he enjoyed teaching anyone who wanted to learn or anyone who would listen how to do those things and if you were one of his sons you learned those things whether you wanted to or not (many times at 7am on Saturday mornings). How to change brake pads, how to wire a house, how to raise bees, how to put on a roof, how to back a trailer, how coal is mined, how to tell an antique piece from a reproduction, how to grow anything, how to catch a trout, how to pick up a crawdad or a blue crab, how to taste wine…. As all of you know, I could list how to’s all day. Today we have the internet, back in the day folks had Jim Turner.Thanks in large part to this church and to people in this room, Dad grew spiritually as he got older. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And although Dad was far from perfect, (a fact he would be the first to acknowledge), over his life, my Dad exhibited those fruits to me many times. Thank you Dad, we will miss you and look forward to seeing you again.BIOGRAPHYIf anyone ever filled a room with his presence, it would have to be James O. Turner. "Affable" is an appropriate description for this man who was warm hearted and well liked, always making certain that those around him were never without entertainment. Jim loved people. He was talkative, engaging and enjoyed being the center of attention!Jim was born on June 11, 1928 in McComas, West Virginia. He was the son of Florence and John Turner. Jim was raised in Vivian, West Virginia. When Jim was just two years old, his father was killed in a mining accident. This brought hardship to the Turner family but Jim's mother did better than most in providing for the needs of Jim and his ten siblings. The experiences of a difficult childhood brought a determination to Jim's life that served him well as he reached adulthood and took on the roles of husband, father, provider. In school, Jim was very observant and was generally quick at picking up new things. He graduated from Welch High School in 1946. He enjoyed some courses more than others, conquering calculus and physics, proving his ability to master anything. He played baseball as shortstop on the high school team and excelled as a gymnast. There was one thing that all of Jim's friends knew and will still remember, and that is that he was a talker. This quality is one of the primary reasons that Jim was such a popular person throughout his life. In the small town where he attended high school, he knew virtually everyone. Jim was voted most handsome in his class.Following service to his country in the US Navy, Jim married Beulah "Boots" Marie Beck on October 31, 1948 at First Baptist Church of Welch, West Virginia. Jim's determination paid off as he had promised Boots' mother he would never settle her daughter in a coal camp. Jim kept that promise as they never lived in the "hollar". In 1964, Jim and Boots moved to St Albans, WV. Jim and Boots were blessed with four children, two sons, Paul and Jimmy, and two daughters, Becky and Jenny. Their lives in the small town of St Albans consisted of ballgames, water skiing on the Coal River and many other events involving family and friends. In fact, the children have often reminisced of how their friends were always comfortable "hanging out" at the Turner's. Jim was always a hard worker, and he expected the same from those around him. He spent time training each son in the skills that would make them each capable, independent men. He awakened them early to tend the garden, keep the bees, cure the hams. He was an avid gardener and was practicing organic gardening before anyone knew what it was. Jim cherished his daughters and did his best to model for them how they should be treated by loving and honoring their mother. Talk about beating the odds. For a man who lost his father at such a young age, he did a wonderful job becoming a good husband and father. Although Jim held a variety of jobs in the early years, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to start Cable Splicing and Supply which he later sold. He subsequently started Mountaineer Marketing, Inc., where he sold products to the coal industry. He was self-employed for most of his professional career. He worked hard and built a good business for himself and his family using his strong relationship skills. As the years passed and the children grew up and married, eight grandchildren joined the Turner clan: Paul, Elizabeth, Meredith, Justin, Katie, Mandy, Kristen and Stephen. Jim doted on his grandchildren and was extremely proud of each one's individual accomplishments. He was free with advice and a little cash for "something fun", gas money or whatever would bring a smile to the grandchild's face. More recently, Jim had been working hard to spoil Braelyn, their first great-granddaughter.Jim enjoyed spending time working on his various projects. He prided himself having something to show for his efforts. There was nothing he would not attempt and usually, master. From construction to beer-making, grafting plants to teaching at the community college, he was never afraid of a challenge. As a native West Virginian, he spent many hours hunting and fishing. His keen interest in things that affected the lives of other people led Jim to become actively involved in professional and community organizations. Because he was outgoing and worked well with others, James did his fair share of volunteer work. Throughout his life, Jim was an active member of the Lions Club, Shriners and the Fraternal Order of Freemasons. Politically, Jim was active in the Democratic Party and served St Albans West Virginia as Councilman.Faith was important to Jim. He was a member of Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was well respected because he was such an outgoing individual who sought to help in any manner he could. He and Boots spent countless Wednesday nights volunteering and serving the weekly fellowship meal. They are both members of the Katherine Fortner Sunday School Class and have made many lasting friendships over the years.Not only did Jim enjoy traveling, he rarely tired of going back and revisiting his favorite places. The family maintained a year-round campsite at Paradise Campground in White Sulfur Springs, WV and spent many long weekend there with friends and family. Favorite vacations included trips to Emerald Isle and Topsail Island, NC which he traditionally shared with his extended family each June. On these trips Jim enjoyed both pier and surf-side fishing with his sons and his son in law, Rick. And there was the occasional off shore fishing trip, too. Since it was easy for Jim to meet and get to know new people, he quickly made friends, even in retirement. Once he met those new friends, he loved sharing stories and talking about the good old days. Jim was ready when that day to retire finally came in 1993. His new life involved relocating to Knoxville, Tennessee. In retirement, he found new pleasure in spending time with family, gardening, hunting and fishing with son in law, Rick. Even in retirement, Jim stayed in touch with his old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the church, his community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities that retirement offered him.Jim passed away on March 19, 2014 at home. Jim was laid to rest in East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery. He will be missed by all whose lives intersected his in his nearly 86 years walking this earth.