Obituary: Mary Elizabeth Bates Turner

Mary Elizabeth Bates Turner died Nov. 24, 2008, at her home in Prescott Valley, Ariz. Mary was born in 1929 to Wallace and Lena (Farr) Bates in Catoosa County, Ga. Her early years through high school were spent on the family farm near Dalton, Ga.

She was a student at West Georgia College at Carrollton, Ga., when she met Charles Turner. They were married April 1947 and moved to Athens, Ga., where they established their home and family.

She was a strong and faithful supporter as homemaker, mother and pastor's wife through seminary and churches in Georgia, Tennessee and Arizona. They came to Prescott, Ariz., in 1977 and moved into their home in Prescott Valley in 1979.

Mary is survived by her husband Charles; three children, Stephen Turner and wife JoAnn of Tempe, Ariz., Brian Turner and wife Beverly of Harrison, Tenn., and Kay Turner Moore of Burlington, N.C.; and foster daughter Marti Nguyen Anderson of Chattanooga, Tenn. Her grandchildren are Kaitlyn Moore; Josh Moore and wife Brandy; Justin Moore and wife Lisa of Burlington; Matthew Turner of Harrison; and Lindsay Nguyen, Ming Nguyen and Brittany Anderson of Chattanooga. Also surviving her is sister Mrs. Becky Bates Houston of Shreveport, La. She had many nieces and nephews and four great-grandchildren.

A child, Randall Scott Turner; her parents; a sister, Martha Bates Kittle; and a brother, Charles Bates, preceded her in death.

A memorial service will be 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at the Prescott Presbyterian Church, 137 North Marina St., Prescott, Ariz.

Information provided by survivors.