Washington, Utah - Stanley Clay Turner passed away peacefully on January 27, 2014 from causes incident to age. Stan was born in Washington City on August 24, 1923 to John Jackson and Della Averett Turner as the fourth child in a family of eight. As a youth Stan worked on the small family farm and hauled wood with his father to keep the home fires burning which allowed his mom to bake the counties best pies, dinner rolls and fried chicken.

After high school he moved to Long Beach, California and became a master welder working on war ships. At the age of 19 he joined the Army-Air Force and served in the China-Burma-India Theater until 1946. While serving his country his father lost an arm in a bizarre accident which prevented him from maintaining the farm. Although Stan had other career plans, he chose to take over the family farm with 63 tillable acres beside the cantankerous Virgin River. He raised alfalfa, cattle, pigs and saddle horses. The discipline of farming was used to teach the value of hard work and integrity to his children and grandchildren.

To supplement the farm income he served as the Washington Canal Water Master taking care of the farmers and their water needs with honesty and fairness for over 15 years. Additionally, he served the teachers and children of Washington City Elementary as their custodian for over 20 years. Lastly, he worked as a foreman in the frame shop for the Hawthorne Tent manufacturing company.

In 1947 he married Evelyn Empey in the St. George Temple. They had five children. However, their twin boys Matthew and Mark only survived a few hours following birth in 1955 and daughter Jessilyn succumbed to leukemia at the age of nine in 1959 due to the effects of radiation poisoning from nuclear fallout. The eldest son Leif passed away at the age of 45 in 1993 leaving Karen as the only surviving child.

Sadly in 1970 Evelyn passed away due to complications of an automobile accident. That same year Karen married and moved to Salt Lake City leaving Stan alone to manage the farm and hold down a second job. In 1992, he married his lovely dance partner Nadine Wallace. Unfortunately, death came again taking Nadine (due to diabetes) in 2009 after seventeen years of "Love of my Life" companionship. He was also preceded in death by his parents; two brothers George Wendell and Averett and two sisters Ada and Althea.

Although many of Stans loved ones have passed on before him there were those who surrounded him and gave him great joy throughout his life. Those surviving include his daughter Karen (Steven) Martin; daughter-in-law Candy (Leif) Turner; seven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren. Also, his sisters Oleatha (Ray) Clinger, Roene (Stafford) Snow and Darlene (Duane) Blake, who loved Stan very dearly.

Funeral services will be held Friday, January 31, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. in the Washington Main Street Chapel. Viewings will be held Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary at 288 West St. George Blvd. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the chapel. Interment will be at the Washington Cemetery following services.