MARY FAY TURNER obituary

Mary Fay (Winburn) Turner, 89, succumbed to cancer on July 28, 2009.

She was a 55-year resident of Havre. Born Sept. 15, 1919, to Ruth and Baxter Winburn of Haywood County, Tenn., she spent her early years on the family farm and attended Clarks School Rural Elementary. After her father died, the family moved to Brownsville and Fay graduated from Haywood High in 1938. She met and married David H. Turner in 1945 while he was stationed at Dyersburg, Tenn. In December of that year, David was discharged from the Army Air Corps and the couple moved to Havre where he worked for the Great Northern Railway Co. To this marriage were born six children two sons and four daughters. David and Fay resided in Havre until May 2000 when they moved to Billings. Fay was a longtime member of the 6th Avenue Christian Church of Havre. She was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Chapter 30. She participated in many Heart Fund drives, Cub Scouting and PTA. Fay devoted her life to being a homemaker and rearing her family. She was a gentle, compassionate and caring person. She liked gardening, flowers, picture puzzles, sewing and crafting ... and she did a lot of cooking. She cooked many holiday meals for the family and often invited those who were away from home or had nowhere else to go. Fay loved her family, seeing relatives and participating in family reunions. She loved babies and children, knitting hundreds of caps for newborn babies. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, five sisters, two brothers and an infant daughter, Susan Margaret. She is survived by her five children, David (Irene) of El Segundo, Calif., Mary (Jim) Turner of Joliet, Mont., Sandra (Clarence) Grayson of West Jordan, Utah, Stan of Landusky, Mont., and Kathy (Glen) Van Wagoner of Midway, Utah. She is also survived by two sisters, Ida Putnam of Herington, Kan., and Margaret Renner of Montgomery City, Mo.; seven grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Cremation has taken place. Her ashes will be placed with those of her husband during a private family memorial service at the Cremation & Funeral Gallery, 29 8th St. W. in Billings. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the following charitable organizations: Beartooth Hospice, P.O. Box 590, Red Lodge, MT 59068; Carbon Stillwater Senior Services, P.O. Box 197, Joliet, MT 59041; or to a charity of one's choice..