Walter J. Turner

WALTER J. TURNER Walter "Shorty" Turner was born on July 13, 1924 to Ben and Hazel Turner. Walter was raised on farms in the Ignacio, Bayfield, and Arboles areas with his parents and seven brothers and three sisters. In his adult life, Walter plowed snow on Wolf Creek Pass for the Colorado State Highway Department and he worked in a store on the Navajo Reservation at Round Rock, Ariz. He left the reservation and returned to Durango where he married Patricia McCormick in 1948. They had one son, Paul Turner. Walter was offered a job in a laundry and dry cleaning establishment in Durango. This soon became his vocation in life for the next 22 years in Cortez, Dove Creek and Monticello with his own dry cleaning facilities. After selling the Monticello facility he returned to Durango and operated Plaza Cleaners for several years. In 1969, Walter went to work for the City of Durango as Water Plant Operator where he worked for 20 years, retiring in 1989. In March 1998, Walter married Joyce Roseberry and they continued to live in the Durango area until moving to Cortez in 2004. They were able to renew acquaintances with old friends and to make new friends. Walter went to meet his Lord on Friday, March 11, 2016 at his Cortez home at the age of 91. He was preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings. Walter is survived by his wife, Joyce Turner; his son, Paul Turner (Radonna) of Palmer, Alaska; two children, Aaron Turner and family of Australia, and Tendra Nichodmus and family of Palmer, Alaska; four great grandchildren; two step-children; four step-grandchildren; ten step-great-grandchildren; and a multitude of nieces, nephews and friends. Please join the family on Thursday, March 17 for "A Life Remembered" hosted by Ertel Funeral Home from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The family respectfully request in lieu of flowers, a contribution to Hospice of Montezuma P.O. Box 740 Cortez, Colo. 81321.