Obituary of Keith V. Turner

He was born in Fisher, IL on November 13, 1916 to the late Ernest and Esther Turner. Keith married Thelma Primmer on January 7, 1935. They were life long residents of Champaign County where Keith raised grain and cattle at farms on North Prospect Avenue. A breeder of champion Angus cattle, Keith raised the steer “Julius” that his daughter Nancy showed to the Grand Championship at the International Livestock Exhibition in 1955. The Turner family was interviewed as a typical farm family by Edward R. Murrow for his Person to Person TV show. He was active in the farm community as a member of the Champaign County Farm Bureau, American Angus Association and a 4-H Club leader. After his retirement from farming 25 years ago, the Turner’s began spending winters in Nokomis where Keith enjoyed golf, tennis, pool and traveling with his beloved wife. The Turner’s lived in the King’s Gate Community where they recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary. Keith was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Champaign and attended the Venice Nokomis United Methodist Church. Survivors include his loving wife Thelma; two daughters, Nancy Bohlen of Brighton, MI, Jane Kapp and husband Lelan of Cosby, MO; brother Don and wife Carol of Mahomet and of Nokomis; sister LaVerne Warner and husband Roger of Satellite Beach, FL; brother-in-law Warren Smoot of Baltimore, MD; four grandchildren, Lisa Bohlen of Nashville, TN, Scott Bohlen and wife Kayla of Howell, MI, Alan Kapp and wife Kathy of Clarksdale, MO, Andrew Kapp and wife Dana also of Clarksdale; six great-grandchildren, Sheldon, Mary Jane, Jack, Grace, Ryan and Emma. He was preceded in death by his sister Mildred Smoot.