A life well lived: Dorothy Willis Turner

It is a sad thing to sit and write a remembrance of someone's life. Particularly when you love that someone. But there is also this: as I've sat pondering the details and the words to write, my face is aching from the broad and sustained smile provoked by the memories and stories and of love and laughter. I hope that you too might smile some as you reflect on this wonderful life, well lived.

Dorothy was the second of five children born to Joseph and Anna Simunek. She arrived on August 30th of 1932 in the small west Oklahoma town of Bison. For a timeline perspective, the following winter would become the deepest trough of the Great Depression, with this family precariously settled firmly in the bullseye of the American Dust Bowl.  It was a rough time to start out, but the family's Czech heritage and a strong sense of family, firmly staked in the 1889 land rush, sustained them through the roughest of times on the Oklahoma plain. Throughout her time, Dorothy remained proud of her family's Czech heritage and traditions such as baked Kolache's and polka dancing.

Dorothy is survived by her big brother Raymond (b. 1931) and sister in-law Janelle who live in Hustle, Virginia, and baby brother Billy Joe (b. 1944) and sister-in-law Patsy who live in Enid, Oklahoma. She was preceded to heaven by sisters Doris Cates, and Rosalee Trabalka. There is a passel of nieces and nephews scattered across the country.

At 18, Dorothy had gone to work for the telephone company in Enid, Oklahoma, lending her income to support her parent's household. (She would remain with "the telephone company" through a series of moves, promotions, and evolutions of technology until she retired in 1993.) While attending a dance in the mid 50's, she met a young airman stationed at near-by Vance Air Force Base. That young man from tiny New Hartford, Missouri was Walter Kenneth Willis. Their romance would blossom and then endure the physical separation of over a year as Walter was shipped out to Japan. She and Walter were eventually married in Enid on October 26, 1956.

Their first two children were born in Oklahoma: Debbie arriving in 1958 and Diane joining them in 1959. The family then moved to Mexico, Missouri in 1960 where the couple endured one further separation when Walter was sent to Alaska. He left the Air Force after that assignment, and their third child, Duane was born in 1964.

It was Dorothy's work as a telephone operator that would become key to sustaining the family when Walter was seriously injured in an industrial accident in the mid-60s. Thus, it was with the reorganization of the telephone industry in 1977, that Dorothy was compelled to accept a transfer and move the family to Springfield, Missouri.

Settling into a new community Dorothy and Walter sought and found new friends and immense fun as members of the Coordinators Square Dancing Club. This community activity remained important as the children grew, married, and eventually presented them with three grandsons and a great-grandson who would learn to affectionately call her Nanny and Grandma Dot. Debbie married Bill Aldrich in 1980. Duane and Jennifer married in 1987, and Diane married Gary Bachman in 1989. Daniel, her first grandson was born in 1982 to Debbie and Bill; Chris arrived in 1991 followed by Trevor in 1994, both born to Duane and Jennifer. And then great-grandson Mason Aldrich was born to Daniel and Karie in 2008.

Retiring from the telephone company in 1993, Dorothy and Walter had great plans for their expanding garden and the time they would have to spend together.  On reflection now, it is notable how Dorothy's inherent strength and strong sense of community buoyed her so reliably through difficult times. In May of 1995, Walter, the love of her life, suddenly and unexpectedly died. It was a powerfully sad time for her and her children. And perhaps she put up a strong front, but her strength showed brightly through. Her church and club work would soon take on a special importance. And time spent with her children and grandchildren became a wonderful base.

Over the next couple of years, she grew closer to Orville Turner, a recently widowed friend of Walter's.  Over coffee, their friendship blossomed, and they would eventually marry.  He was as good for Dorothy, as she was for him. It was fun to see her with someone that she once again was able to reliably enjoy sharing life with. In truth, time is best spent when it is shared. And Orville's own family brought a further new dimension to Dorothy's family life with two already grown and married "step-children," four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.   Jim (& Dorothy) Turner, Molly Turner-Altic (& Bill), grandchildren Steven Turner, Julie Turner- Hrenko (& Nick,) Brian Turner (& Janette) and Sonya (& Jon) Trent who upped the ante with great- grandchildren, Jacob and Makayla. All lovingly welcomed her into their lives. Orville sadly passed in 2004.

Over the ensuing years, Dorothy remained strongly involved in the Springfield community: volunteering through both the "AT&T Pioneers" and Brentwood Christian Church, she was particularly committed to the nutritional support programs provided by Crosslines of Springfield. She remained committed to such service to others even as her own strength began to slip.

In the final weeks of her life, even as the Coronavirus swept through the community and into our lives, and even as skilled nursing and Hospice staff came to care for her and the family, Dorothy held on. After sitting with her through what would be her last full day with us, one of her now grown children commented on the remarkable strength that had reliably and lovingly sustained Dorothy though out her life. As a Simunek, Willis, and Turner: friend, neighbor, co-worker, child, sister, partner, aunt, spouse, mother-in-law, parent, grand and great-grandparent. We have all been blessed to love, know and to learn from her. Dorothy passed from this life on January 15, 2021.

Funeral Service will be at 1:00 PM, Tuesday, January 19, 2021 in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.  Private interment will be held at Springfield National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Crosslines of Springfield, c/o Council of Churches, PO Box 3947, Springfield, MO 65808, http://ccozarks.org/crosslines/ or Alzheimer's Association-Greater MO Chapter, 3645 South Ave., Springfield, MO 65807, https://www.alz.org/greatermissouri

And while this passing may be cause for sorrow here , I encourage each of you to, just for a moment, imagine that heavenly reunion.   (You're smiling aren't you.)