Shirley Arlene Turner

Turner, Shirley Arlene passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of her family on Monday February 12, 2024 at St. Ann’s Home at the age of 89 years. Arrangements are pending at this time, cremation has taken place. Please check back in the coming days for a full obituary. Shirley requested a private celebration of life with immediate family present, which our family will be honoring. Please join us in remembering Shirley by posting to her memorial website with your cherished memories and photos.

Shirley Turner's Last Story

Shirley was born February 27,1934 to parents Gordon Stockwell Pearce and Margaret Ann (Campbell) Pearce. She was the first of three children. Her sister Myrna was born January 11, 1938, and her brother Murray was born June 7, 1942.

I spent a warm summer day at the cabin, with mom, talking about her early years. She told me the most wonderful events that took place leading up to her marriage to my dad, Jere Dennis Turner. I will begin with her marriage to dad and follow with the early years.

Like many newly weds mom and dad began by living in an apartment. They bought a car. They bought a house. Their first baby D’Arcy Lynn Turner was born July 25 1959, just a few months shy of their second wedding anniversary. Wasting no time, their second baby Karen Louise Turner was born eleven months and 3 weeks after D’Arcy. Why not? Washing diapers for 2 babies was just as easy as for one baby!!

Time flew by and Karen and I were going to school. Mom returned to the work force as a clerk for the Government of Saskatchewan. In addition to this job mom took on private sales as well. She began working for a make up company selling Black Magic Make-up, sold at parties hosted by women in their homes. Following this she sold Tupperware. This was her JAM. She rocked with high sales, winning awards including a watch with a diamond set in the face.

When we were very young mom sewed us matching outfits for special occasions and daily wear. We looked like twins. Dressed in matching outfits including hats, purses, gloves and shoes. She spent days shopping for children’s gloves. We had to wear gloves just like mom, to a special wedding. Her skills included sewing girls clothing from birth to our grade 12 graduation dresses. She made stuffed toys, outfitted two campers with quilts, sheets, and curtains. She sewed table cloths, protective table covers, and drapery. Mom continued sewing until her later years. Mom’s creativity included crafting and knitting. Many of the family own a Christmas stocking made by her. Mom taught me to knit and sew, which I continue doing to this day.

As Karen and I were leaving home mom started to take pottery classes. We, the children and grandchildren, all have pieces of her pottery. Mom took the next step and started taking drawing and sketching classes. She was dedicated to her craft and produced some great pieces of work. From here mom moved onto watercolor painting. She worked to the best of her abilities. Karen and I own some of these pictures.

Mom always enjoyed board games and playing cards. Canasta was her favorite card game. All the children and grandchildren learned to play canasta. Every camping trip or holiday included board games and cards. Mom’s other hobby was working on jigsaw puzzles. The Miller’s, close friends of our parents, hosted a New Years party for 20 plus years. The men drank beverages in the living room while the women sat around the dinning room table and did a 1000-piece puzzle in an evening. This was quite an accomplishment.

Mom was a great cook. This would include just the four of us for supper and evening of entertainment, or a small family dinner or a fancy dinner party for work colleagues and special friends. This included several courses, fine wine and cocktails, and of course her fine China, crystal glasses and silver cutlery. She loved to entertain. After mom and dad purchased their Weber gas BBQ mom prepared roast beef on a spit, roasted whole turkeys and even made Sunday pancakes. We would sit at the umbrella table outside to eat our breakfast.

Mom’s favorite time, was time with dad. They would have evenings out at their favorite restaurants. This included fancy dress clothes and no children! They attended movies, live theater, and the Symphony. Once they were empty nesters they travelled in mostly western Canada and ventured into the United States.

Mom and dad purchased a cabin at Regina Beach. They owned the cabin until dad’s health had deteriorated. Mom and dad spent a lot of alone time at the cabin. Dad would go to and from work from Regina beach while mom stayed their full time. This is the place that mom and dad invited their children and grandchildren to stay for periods of time. This allowed mom to host, cook, and play games with everyone. At times there were 14 of us sleeping on hide-a-beds, cots, couches or an air mattress. Mom and dad had the only bedroom. The time at the cabin is one of our most cherished memories as a large family group.

Mom’s favorite moments were with family. From two people to two hundred people, she was in her element. The home mom lived in was filled with extended family. It set the norm of how life should be. Mom grew up in the presence of Aunts, Uncles, cousins, siblings, grandparents who were in a second marriage thus increasing more relatives for mom to spend time with. It was her Zen. Every occasion included food and beverage. If someone showed up unaware of a gathering they were included.

Everyone was welcome. Dad grew up in a quiet small family. This took some time for him to get used to. If it was too much, he quietly found a corner to read a book and enjoy guests at a distance.

Mom and dad were both happy with family time.

With love, happiness and tears we share this wonderful story with you.

D’Arcy Turner and Karen Klassen.

Shirley Turner's Memories

Written by D'Arcy Turner

Family members:

Mom = Margaret Pearce

Dad = "Scottie" Gordon Pearce

One summer day at the cabin, I asked mom to tell me about her early years. This is her story:

My first memories of pre kindergarten are limited. We lived in a small house on 7 block Montague Street near the railroad tracks. I went to Kitchner School for only a few days before we moved to 20 block Athol Street. I attended Connaught School for grades 1-8. I remember mom taking me to school and I didn't want her to leave me. Dad was not there.

My dad joined the war in 1939 driving cars for the military in the city of Regina. At some point he was transferred to Ontario and eventually overseas to England in 1942. He worked in the Service Core, ensuring soldiers had supplies they needed. I remember Murray's birth and him coming home from the hospital. Dad left before Murray was born and didn't come home until 1946. Murray was 4 years old; Myrna was 8 years old, and I was 12 years old.

Dad was injured during the war. A bomb exploded. Dad was one of 5 men together at the time. Three of them were killed. Dad and another fellow spent a lot of time in a hospital in England before they returned home. Dad's spine was permanently damaged from the explosion.

I remember sending parcels overseas to dad in England. We sent the items in a box using real popcorn as packing. The box was then stitched into sugar bags. This was done to prevent theft of the items from inside the box. Mom sent me to the post office with a $2.00 bill to mail a parcel. By the time I got there I didn't have the $2.00. I remember mom being so angry. She wanted to throttle me.

During the war there were tokens/coupons for meat, butter, sugar, lard, tea, and coffee. We would save up the coupons around the time of a birthday so we could make a birthday cake.

For Halloween there was no door-to-door trick or treating. There would be parties at school. We would dress up in our costumes, play games and dunk for apples.

When Murray was two and a half years old, he got a brand-new puppy. The puppy was let outside on a leash that was attached to a close line. He went to bring him in and the puppy was no longer there. Someone had stolen him.

Mom used to work part time at Simpson Sears after the war. During war time, when dad was away, mom was at home. She did everything for us. Dad's paycheck came home to her and she took care of the finances. She ensured we had school supplies, clothes, and meals. She was a

2. Super cook. Mom was the famous pie maker. The church had gatherings in Wascana Park. The church members came to play games and eat. Once mom’s lemon meringue and pumpkin pies were set out everyone raced to the table to get a slice of her pie.

I remember Christmas shopping with mom and the paper bag parcels. One year mom bought a glass figurine for a friend. Mom tripped and fell, breaking the figurine. She cried. The same Christmas mom did some shopping while we (the kids) were away. She hid the gifts in the Winnipeg couch. When we came home, I accidentally found the presents. There were chalk board easels for all us kids. I was told not to tell the others.

Dad came home from the war in 1946. He worked on the exhibition grounds at the PMQ Armories. Dad rode a bike to work. When I was 13 years old, he came home with a brand-new bike without a special occasion. It was really something.

There are many memories of the house on 20 block Athol. We had the house on the end of a row with our own porch. The kitchen had a coal and wood stove and the porch had a 3-burner coal oil stove. We cooked on the porch stove in the summer. We could set an oven on the burner to cook a roast or bake a cake. There was nothing better than left over chocolate cake for breakfast. We did not get an electric stove until after the war. With the electric stove I was able to have my bed in the back porch for the summer. I often slept in the front veranda as well. We heated water in a reservoir on the side of the coal and wood stove. Each Saturday night we would take pails of water, pour it in the large tub in the bathroom for our baths.

The three of us kids spent a lot of time together. We rode our bikes all over the neighborhood. I had a girl friend down the street, with the last name of Duxbury (can’t remember her first name). There was a large tree in her yard with a swing hanging from it. The seat was made from an apple box. Murray came over one day and broke the seat. The large metal staple came loose from the seat and punctured Murray's thigh. There was a lot of blood. I had to take him home and bandage him up. He probably still has the scar today. I would take Murray and Myrna swimming at Wascana Lake. There was a bath house there for us to change into our swim suits. The cubicles had floors made with wooden slats. There was a small sandy beach and a swimming area for us to cool off on hot summer days.

I started high school while we were living here on 20 block Athol. I would have to take a bus to get to school. Shortly after I started high school, we moved to 29 block Argyle.

While living on 20 block Athol we had extended family living with us. Mom's brother Roy and wife Mae lived upstairs. Guy was born during this time as well. They would eventually move to 10 block MacIntosh Street. Mom's sister Leitha and her husband Keith also lived upstairs. The big room upstairs became a living room, the smaller room became a kitchen and another small room became a bedroom. Everyone shared the bathroom. Our living room was the dining room and the real living room a bedroom for mom, Murray, and Myrna. I slept on a Winnipeg couch in the living room.

3. During this time, we also shared our home with dad's nephews. Dad's sister Muriel Hotchen died of TB when I was in grade school and her husband, Gordon Hotchen had died too. They had four sons. Gordon Jr. and Bob lived with us intermittently. Bob and I went to the same grade school together. Gary lived with family in Alberta and Nelson spent some his time in the Prince Albert Penitentiary.

Dad called me "Duchess" and Myrna "Princess". My first recollections of my parents being a couple was after the war. We were a family. Mom and dad rolled cigarettes together and went out to the movies. They had friends called the Spencer’s, and Ken and Evelyn Williams. They played cards with them on Saturday night. This was while we still lived on 20 block Athol.

My dad would go to Art and Abe Goodmurphy's (owner of the cab company) on Saturday morning for breakfast without us kids!! Dad would take the time to teach us about money. He thought it was important to teach us how to budget and pay expenses. Dad was always enthusiastic about his cars. We would help him wash and polish them. Dad and Murray were very close. Murray was dad's shadow. Murray got up early every morning to have breakfast with dad before they each started their day. Dad liked sports, including football and took Murray to the games. We (the kids) would help shovel snow. When we lived on 29 block Argyle, we shoveled coal and wood into the furnace and emptied the ashes. We were the first family on the block to have a black and white television. Dad brought home a color television 2 months before we could receive the signal for it to work.

The Church of Nazarene (12th & Angus) played an important part in my life as I grew up. After dad came home, I joined the young people's group. We went to church on Sunday where I participated in the young people's meetings and sang in the choir. I remained active in the church until I was married.

The church kids would spend a lot of time together during the week. We would go skating at the outdoor rink on the corner of Robinson and 12th. When I was younger, we would go every night. I came home from school, put my skates on and skated to the rink, skated home, and ate supper in my skates. After supper I skated back to the rink to spend time with friends till 9 pm. This lasted as long as there was ice. During the off season our group would make their own fun by spending time listening to the radio. Following church on Sundays our group would go to the local Chinese restaurant. We would pool our money, order food to equal the total collected and share it between all of us. In the evenings we would go to the cafe on 11th and South Railway for coffee. A cup of coffee cost 0.15 cents.

I attended Balfour Tech for grades 9 and 10. I completed grade 10, quit school and went to work. I worked in a florist shop during grades 9 and 10, earning $10-12 per week. I worked at the Army and Navy after grade 10. Shortly thereafter I travelled to Red Deer Alberta and worked at a Provincial Training school for mentally challenged children. I worked there for 1 1/2 years. During this time, I dated and received a marriage proposal from a Dutch fellow. I turned him down. I also had a proposal from Curly and turned him down as well. I registered and

4. attended high school In Red Deer for a few days. I quit finding it too stressful to work and attend school. I returned home to Regina.

Eventually I returned to school and started grade 11. During the Christmas season I came down with rheumatic fever and spent the next 4 months in bed. After my recovery from rheumatic fever, I worked at a physical rehabilitation center as an assistant. I worked until I restarted grade 11. I returned to school in the fall and was able to completed grade 11. The rehabilitation center experience led to a $2000.00 bursary for physical therapy at McGill University in Montreal. I attended McGill from September to February. I did not like the course particularly the exams. The exams were frightening to the extent that I quite the programme. I went to work for the Red Cross blood donor clinic for 3 months before returning home to Regina. Another reason to return home was my dad's health had deteriorated while I was away. He had several heart attacks while I was high school and his heart disease worsened during the time I was In Montreal.

Jere attended Balfour Tech at the same time as me for grades 9 and 10. We both were in the same home room for grade 10. I was in the class picture that year but Jere was absent. Jere continued on to complete grade 12. I developed a fondness for him but never spent any time with him until we saw each other years later in Montreal.

It is 1955 in Montreal. Jere and I saw each other again at the McGill University. Jere phoned me for our first date but there was a catch. I need to arrange six dates for his friends. We went to a night club for drinks, supper and a floor show. After the date I went back to the boarding house and told the girls he was the one I was going to marry. I admired him in high school and after our first date I knew he was the one for me.

Montreal was the beginning of many dates with Jere. We went everywhere together. We explored museums, took walks in the park, and went site seeing around the city. I saw my first ocean liner. There were many dates at bars, night clubs, and restaurants. I remember many of the places were "classy dining and fancy waiters". I experienced my first takeout food from chicken chalet. We took our meal of chicken, fries and coleslaw to Jere's high rise. He lived in a downtown apartment on the eleventh floor. The building had security doors and security guards!! We went to lots of movies and attended live theatre. The play was Tea House of the August Moon with Larry Parks. We went to a Harlem Globe Trotters basketball game. Jere paid for everything. We had a fun courtship.

I came home to Regina in 1956. By then marriage had been discussed. We both knew that there would be a marriage in the future. On returning home I started to work for Sask Power. I was able to pay off the $1200.00 owed on the bursary, bought a fur coat, fixed my teeth and planned our wedding by mail. Jere came home once between then and July 1957.

Jere came home in December 1956. He arrived at our house at 11 pm and rang the doorbell. My dad did not recognize him and would not let him in past the door step. Jere had a big beard and his winter parka on. I got out of bed, got dressed and went downtown with Jere.

5. The next day we went downtown to MacKenzies jewellers to look at engagement rings. I picked out my ring and we left it to be sized. The following day Jere picked me up from work and took me back to the jewellers. We took a taxi home. Jere gave me my ring in the cab. Jere divided his time between me and his family before returning to work. After 5 days of holidays, he returned to Northern Saskatchewan. The radar site was near La Ronge about 9 miles north of Egg Lake.

Shirley and Jere were married September 21,1957, at the Church of Nazarene in Regina.

Murray's Memories

I remember that the girls had to take me everywhere with them. I had a second-hand girl’s bike for years. I would always slide off the seat and hit my nuts on the bar. I got my first boys’ bike when I was eleven years old. The only time I was allowed to go out alone was to walk the block and a half to our grandparent’s place. There was a special bread drawer in the kitchen. Inside the drawer was cold left-over toast. There were 3 slices, one for each of us kids. We found out years later that the toast wasn't left over but made special for us.

When Jere worked up north, we would send him care packages. We would hollow out a loaf of bread and place the secret bottle of rum inside. The bread was excellent camouflage and packing material all in one.