Obituary
Guest Book
1924
2017
Funeral services were held Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 11:30am at Kokomo Baptist Church for Mr. Van Harold Turnage, age 92, who passed away at his daughter's home in Yorktown, VA on Saturday, May 27, 2017. Rev. Glen Nace officiated at the service. He is preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Mary Rose Campbell Turnage and was buried at Kokomo Cemetery beside his beloved wife. Prior to services, friends and family gathered from 9:00am until 11:00am at Colonial Funeral Home for a time of visitation. Van Harold was a lifelong resident of Mississippi. A graduate from Kokomo High School, he attended Pearl River College in 1941. It was there he met Mary Rose whom he would marry in 1945.
Harold was a seaman and a farmer. He served in the Navy and Merchant Marines
during WWII, and continued in the Merchant Marines until 1957 at which time
he took over the family dairy farm when his parents, Joseph Sheppard and Lillie
Turnage retired. Harold also was a mail carrier for Kokomo, MS, and worked for
the United States Agriculture Department, Soil Conservation Services in Wayne
and Perry counties in Mississippi. The last 30 years he cultivated a muscadine
vineyard located on Kokomo Rd in Kokomo. Families from surrounding Mississippi
counties and Louisiana parishes came yearly to pick muscadines and "sit a spell" to visit.
Harold kept the vineyard growing because he enjoyed seeing parents bring their
children and then their children continued the tradition bringing their children for
a fun healthy outing.
Mr. Turnage leaves behind a first cousin, Albert Allen Brooks and his wife Joy of Columbia, MS; his and Mary Rose's three children, Jay Turnage and his wife Mary of Benton MS, Beverly Pugh and her husband David of Gautier, MS, and Deborah Braziel and her husband Bob of Yorktown, VA; 6 grandchildren, Randy Turnage and his wife Marinel of Kokomo, Ann Hawkes and her husband Bill of Atlanta GA, Michelle Polk and her husband Jesse of Foxworth, MS, James Christopher Kelley serving in the United States Army stationed in Izmir, Turkey and his wife Chrissy who is keeping the fire light burning in Indianapolis, IN, Renee Sims and her husband Randy of Apopka, FL, and Matthew Wiswell of Fife, WA; 11 great-grandchildren; and 2 great great-grandchildren.
Colonial Funeral Home, Columbia, MS was in charge of arrangements.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Sponsored by Colonial Funeral Home.
3 Entries
June 16, 2017
Linda
You will be greatly missed.
May 31, 2017
The Staff of Colonial Funeral Home
offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.
May 30, 2017
Marge Battista
This is truly a loss. Prayers to Debbie and to all that knew and loved him.
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