Yolanda Carmen Turner

Yolanda accepted Christ at a young age and was raised catholic. As an adult, she joined Phillips Temple C.M.E. Church where she was a longtime member until her move to North Carolina, where she joined Union Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina.

Yolanda moved from St. Louis, Missouri to Indianapolis, Indiana with her parents and older brother at age ten. For most of her life, she attended private catholic school and was a graduate of Scecina Memorial High. After high school, Yolanda was one of two blacks to be accepted to Holy Cross School of Nursing where she eventually graduated as a registered nurse. Yolanda’s passion to care for others guided her in her career as a nurse where she managed to achieve a great deal of success and broke many barriers as an African American woman.

Yolanda began her career as a surgical scrub nurse at Methodist Hospital and eventually began working as a corporate nurse for places such as Burger Chef, Allison, RCA, and Rolls Royce. In 1965, Yolanda was acknowledged in the national newspaper magazine, The Parade, as one of the nation’s first black corporate nurses. She also worked in the psychiatric unit at Indiana University Medical Center.

On August 10, 1963 she was united in marriage to Dwayne Kent Turner Sr. They loved each other in union for over 52 years before he preceded her in death in 2015. To this union four children were born. Yolanda is survived by two of her children; Dalena Turner BobManuel (husband Alaiyi) and Dwayne Kenny Turner (wife Kara), and brother Regnold Shirley Farquhar Jr. (wife Marlene).

Yolanda was preceded in death by her parents and said farewell to her oldest daughter, Dawn Michelle Turner in 2018. Her first son-Gregory Turner also preceded her in death shortly after birth.

Yolanda’s greatest love was for God, her husband Kent, her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and her beloved family and friends. She was especially fond of her children and grandchildren whom she either spoke or wrote cards and letters to daily. Yolanda leaves behind seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren: Wayne Anthony “Tony” Toles, Jasmine Cain (husband Brandon), Amber Smallwood (husband Stacey), Kennedy Turner, Alana Bobmanuel, Kendall Turner, Elijah Kent Bobmanuel, Carter Smallwood, and Brayden Cain. After the passing of her brother-in-law Robert “Bobby” Turner, Yolanda played an integral role in the lives of her nieces and nephew: Donita Douglas, Daria Wilson (deceased), and Robert Turner. Yolanda also dearly loved her nieces and nephews from her brother Regnold: Carmen Farquhar, Regnold Farquhar III, Theresa Farquhar (deceased), and David Farquhar.

Yolanda was a very sweet, thoughtful, and kind-spirited woman who always tried to make others feel special through her cards, poems, gifts, and outpouring of love. Through her quiet strength and strong faith, she taught us to listen intently, care for others, be ourselves, and above all to love and always have faith in God.

Mrs. Yolanda (Farquhar) Turner, departed this life as we know it on July 29, 2021. She will be tremendously missed.