Wiley Turner's obituary was recorded in The Abilene Reporter News for June 29, 1939:
"Wiley Turner, 61, retired business man, patron of McMurry College, and an officer in the
St. Paul Methodist Church, died unexpectedly at his home on 830 Mulberry St., here
yesterday afternoon.
Members of the family said Mr. Turner ate a hearty lunch and went
into the yard to do a bit of work. At 1 p.m., he returned to the house, lay down, and was
found dead an hour later by his brother, Tom. He had complained of feeling slightly ill
since returning Sunday from a two week visit to his old home in Mississippi.
His funeral will be held at 6 p.m. today at the St. Paul church. The Rev. C. A. Long, pastor, is to conduct
the rites, assisted by Dr. Frank Turner, president of McMurry College, and Dr. M. A.
Jenkins, pastor of the First Baptist Church. Named as pallbearers are O. P. Thrane,
Thomas E. Hayden, S. M. Jay Tom Bacon, R. B. Wylie, and Sam Kennedy. Laughter Funeral
Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Turner is survived by his wife; a son, Tim, of Sweetwater; three daughters, Mrs. Earl T. Hays of McCamey, Mrs. A. H. Gatlin of Abilene, and Mary Edna Turner who lives in the family home; a granddaughter, Earlene Hays: six
brothers, W. O. of Dallas, Herman of Denton, Ralph, John, and R. D. of Kaufman, and Tom
of Abilene; two sisters, Mrs. H. W. Pankey of Kaufman, and Mrs. Daisy Duke of
Weatherford, Oklahoma.
He was born in New Albany, Mississippi, August 19, 1877, and came to Texas at the age of 19, settling in Kaufman. He moved to Abilene in 1900 and two years later was married here to Mary Jane Dill. His first work here was for Col. Clabe Merchant in the cattle business.
Later, he bought a tract of land five miles northeast of
Abilene, the community - Turner's Chapel - being named for him. In 1914, he established
the Turner Feed Store here. Since his retirement in 1929, he had spent his time looking
after his properties.
Mr. Turner, chairman of the board of stewards at St. Paul church,
was a member of the board of trustees at McMurry, was a liberal donor both to the
church and school. He was one of a group of five men who two years ago set aside
$100,000 as a challenge to the Northwest Texas conference to increase McMurry's
endowment by $350,000. Although the entire sum has not yet been raised, Mr. Turner's
gift was made without restrictions. "He was much beloved by the church and the college
leaders," S. M. Jay, former chairman of the McMurry board and a St. Paul steward, said
last night. "He was a man willing to attend to a lot of details of the physical properties of
both institutions - duties which most of us overlook. One of the finest things to be said of
him was that he was interested only in serving, rather than in gaining personal glory."
Contributor: Susan Bailey Robinson (48313046)
"Wiley Turner, 61, retired business man, patron of McMurry College, and an officer in the
St. Paul Methodist Church, died unexpectedly at his home on 830 Mulberry St., here
yesterday afternoon.
Members of the family said Mr. Turner ate a hearty lunch and went
into the yard to do a bit of work. At 1 p.m., he returned to the house, lay down, and was
found dead an hour later by his brother, Tom. He had complained of feeling slightly ill
since returning Sunday from a two week visit to his old home in Mississippi.
His funeral will be held at 6 p.m. today at the St. Paul church. The Rev. C. A. Long, pastor, is to conduct
the rites, assisted by Dr. Frank Turner, president of McMurry College, and Dr. M. A.
Jenkins, pastor of the First Baptist Church. Named as pallbearers are O. P. Thrane,
Thomas E. Hayden, S. M. Jay Tom Bacon, R. B. Wylie, and Sam Kennedy. Laughter Funeral
Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Turner is survived by his wife; a son, Tim, of Sweetwater; three daughters, Mrs. Earl T. Hays of McCamey, Mrs. A. H. Gatlin of Abilene, and Mary Edna Turner who lives in the family home; a granddaughter, Earlene Hays: six
brothers, W. O. of Dallas, Herman of Denton, Ralph, John, and R. D. of Kaufman, and Tom
of Abilene; two sisters, Mrs. H. W. Pankey of Kaufman, and Mrs. Daisy Duke of
Weatherford, Oklahoma.
He was born in New Albany, Mississippi, August 19, 1877, and came to Texas at the age of 19, settling in Kaufman. He moved to Abilene in 1900 and two years later was married here to Mary Jane Dill. His first work here was for Col. Clabe Merchant in the cattle business.
Later, he bought a tract of land five miles northeast of
Abilene, the community - Turner's Chapel - being named for him. In 1914, he established
the Turner Feed Store here. Since his retirement in 1929, he had spent his time looking
after his properties.
Mr. Turner, chairman of the board of stewards at St. Paul church,
was a member of the board of trustees at McMurry, was a liberal donor both to the
church and school. He was one of a group of five men who two years ago set aside
$100,000 as a challenge to the Northwest Texas conference to increase McMurry's
endowment by $350,000. Although the entire sum has not yet been raised, Mr. Turner's
gift was made without restrictions. "He was much beloved by the church and the college
leaders," S. M. Jay, former chairman of the McMurry board and a St. Paul steward, said
last night. "He was a man willing to attend to a lot of details of the physical properties of
both institutions - duties which most of us overlook. One of the finest things to be said of
him was that he was interested only in serving, rather than in gaining personal glory."
Contributor: Susan Bailey Robinson (48313046)
Wiley Turner's obituary was recorded in The Abilene Reporter News for June 29, 1939:
"Wiley Turner, 61, retired business man, patron of McMurry College, and an officer in the
St. Paul Methodist Church, died unexpectedly at his home on 830 Mulberry St., here
yesterday afternoon.
Members of the family said Mr. Turner ate a hearty lunch and went
into the yard to do a bit of work. At 1 p.m., he returned to the house, lay down, and was
found dead an hour later by his brother, Tom. He had complained of feeling slightly ill
since returning Sunday from a two week visit to his old home in Mississippi.
His funeral will be held at 6 p.m. today at the St. Paul church. The Rev. C. A. Long, pastor, is to conduct
the rites, assisted by Dr. Frank Turner, president of McMurry College, and Dr. M. A.
Jenkins, pastor of the First Baptist Church. Named as pallbearers are O. P. Thrane,
Thomas E. Hayden, S. M. Jay Tom Bacon, R. B. Wylie, and Sam Kennedy. Laughter Funeral
Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Turner is survived by his wife; a son, Tim, of Sweetwater; three daughters, Mrs. Earl T. Hays of McCamey, Mrs. A. H. Gatlin of Abilene, and Mary Edna Turner who lives in the family home; a granddaughter, Earlene Hays: six
brothers, W. O. of Dallas, Herman of Denton, Ralph, John, and R. D. of Kaufman, and Tom
of Abilene; two sisters, Mrs. H. W. Pankey of Kaufman, and Mrs. Daisy Duke of
Weatherford, Oklahoma.
He was born in New Albany, Mississippi, August 19, 1877, and came to Texas at the age of 19, settling in Kaufman. He moved to Abilene in 1900 and two years later was married here to Mary Jane Dill. His first work here was for Col. Clabe Merchant in the cattle business.
Later, he bought a tract of land five miles northeast of
Abilene, the community - Turner's Chapel - being named for him. In 1914, he established
the Turner Feed Store here. Since his retirement in 1929, he had spent his time looking
after his properties.
Mr. Turner, chairman of the board of stewards at St. Paul church,
was a member of the board of trustees at McMurry, was a liberal donor both to the
church and school. He was one of a group of five men who two years ago set aside
$100,000 as a challenge to the Northwest Texas conference to increase McMurry's
endowment by $350,000. Although the entire sum has not yet been raised, Mr. Turner's
gift was made without restrictions. "He was much beloved by the church and the college
leaders," S. M. Jay, former chairman of the McMurry board and a St. Paul steward, said
last night. "He was a man willing to attend to a lot of details of the physical properties of
both institutions - duties which most of us overlook. One of the finest things to be said of
him was that he was interested only in serving, rather than in gaining personal glory."
Contributor: Susan Bailey Robinson (48313046)
"Wiley Turner, 61, retired business man, patron of McMurry College, and an officer in the
St. Paul Methodist Church, died unexpectedly at his home on 830 Mulberry St., here
yesterday afternoon.
Members of the family said Mr. Turner ate a hearty lunch and went
into the yard to do a bit of work. At 1 p.m., he returned to the house, lay down, and was
found dead an hour later by his brother, Tom. He had complained of feeling slightly ill
since returning Sunday from a two week visit to his old home in Mississippi.
His funeral will be held at 6 p.m. today at the St. Paul church. The Rev. C. A. Long, pastor, is to conduct
the rites, assisted by Dr. Frank Turner, president of McMurry College, and Dr. M. A.
Jenkins, pastor of the First Baptist Church. Named as pallbearers are O. P. Thrane,
Thomas E. Hayden, S. M. Jay Tom Bacon, R. B. Wylie, and Sam Kennedy. Laughter Funeral
Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Turner is survived by his wife; a son, Tim, of Sweetwater; three daughters, Mrs. Earl T. Hays of McCamey, Mrs. A. H. Gatlin of Abilene, and Mary Edna Turner who lives in the family home; a granddaughter, Earlene Hays: six
brothers, W. O. of Dallas, Herman of Denton, Ralph, John, and R. D. of Kaufman, and Tom
of Abilene; two sisters, Mrs. H. W. Pankey of Kaufman, and Mrs. Daisy Duke of
Weatherford, Oklahoma.
He was born in New Albany, Mississippi, August 19, 1877, and came to Texas at the age of 19, settling in Kaufman. He moved to Abilene in 1900 and two years later was married here to Mary Jane Dill. His first work here was for Col. Clabe Merchant in the cattle business.
Later, he bought a tract of land five miles northeast of
Abilene, the community - Turner's Chapel - being named for him. In 1914, he established
the Turner Feed Store here. Since his retirement in 1929, he had spent his time looking
after his properties.
Mr. Turner, chairman of the board of stewards at St. Paul church,
was a member of the board of trustees at McMurry, was a liberal donor both to the
church and school. He was one of a group of five men who two years ago set aside
$100,000 as a challenge to the Northwest Texas conference to increase McMurry's
endowment by $350,000. Although the entire sum has not yet been raised, Mr. Turner's
gift was made without restrictions. "He was much beloved by the church and the college
leaders," S. M. Jay, former chairman of the McMurry board and a St. Paul steward, said
last night. "He was a man willing to attend to a lot of details of the physical properties of
both institutions - duties which most of us overlook. One of the finest things to be said of
him was that he was interested only in serving, rather than in gaining personal glory."
Contributor: Susan Bailey Robinson (48313046)
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