Leora Turbiville

Funeral Service for Leora Turbiville, 76, of Camp Crook, SD will be at 10:00 a. m. on Friday, May 25, 2012 at the Camp Crook Community Center in Camp Crook, SD. Interment will follow in the Fairview Cemetery at Camp Crook. Visitation will be 6:00 p. m. to 9:00 p. m. on Thursday, May 24th, at the Community Center in Camp Crook with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p. m. Leora passed away on Friday, May 18, 2012, at Spearfish Regional Hospital in Spearfish, SD. Leora Jean Smith was born July 9, 1935, to Roy R. and Blanche (Amsden) Smith at Ellingson, SD. She was the oldest girl and second oldest of 10 children ? Leroy, Leora, Marvin, Duane, Helen, Larry, Ruth Anne, Faye, Randy, Edythe. The Lodgepole School was where she received her grade school education. Then it was off to the big city of Hettinger, N. D. , for the next three years, working for her board and room while attending high school. Roy, Blanche and family moved to Bison the fall of 1952 where Leora collected her diploma from Bison High School in 1953. She travelled to Minneapolis, MN, in January 1954 where she received her diploma as an airline receptionist from the Gale Institute. Leora was employed by the Northwestern National Life Insurance Company in Minneapolis prior to returning to the area where she found employment at the Western Caf? and First State Bank in Buffalo. Leora met the love of her life while he was home on leave in September 1954, Eugene Turbiville. The couple met at the pool hall in Buffalo, SD. After three days of ?running around the country side? with Gene?s friends, Kenny Baier and Kay Cooper, Gene returned to Ft. Bragg. The couple wrote back and forth to each other. At Christmas time of 1954, Gene sent Leora money to buy her own engagement ring. Gene came home in February and the couple was married February 19, 1955, in Rapid City, SD. After the ceremony, they left for Ft. Bragg where they remained until Gene was discharged in May 1955, returning back to the ranch at that time. It was a short romance time; but a lifetime of love, working together on the family ranch and raising their six children ? Barbara, Lyman, Douglas, Ronald, Ronda and Esther. Gene and Leora worked the ranch until Gene?s dad passed away in 1974. They bought the ranch at this time and worked until Gene was forced to retire in 1998 due to health issues; at which time their son, Ronald, bought the ranch. Things were just never the same after Leora lost the love of her life when Gene passed away July 4, 2002. Leora remained on the ranch, helping her son the same way she always helped her husband. Mom was happiest when she could bring joy to someone else, many a night she would play cards or a board game with her children as they grew up. As the family became larger with grandchildren, it only meant finding a new card game that everyone could play together as they sat around the dining room table visiting about their lives and telling jokes. Always the prankster, everyone knew to be careful ?passing? the butter or receiving a ?piece? of bread. Although Mom was scared to death of water, Becky Burghduff knew she would be the first to get wet in a water fight at the Turbiville Family Reunions. Mom didn?t tell many stories of her growing up years except what a good setting hen her brother Marvin made until he fell out of the loft of the barn and about how brave her mother was through her years of being paralyzed. She was honored to have been one of the founding members of the Community Bible Church in Camp Crook; which began with families gathering at various homes to worship the Lord, in the 1960s. Although she never had a music lesson, she was happy to use her limited talent to play the piano in the church until someone else came along with more ability. Leora also served her Lord by being Sunday School Superintendent for many years. Leora was a member of the Harding County Homemakers Extension Club, served on the Camp Crook Election Board from 1965 to 2009, sat the Grand Electric Nominating Committee several years, and manned the Old Timer?s Picnic registration table at the Harding County Fair for several years. Leora was preceded in death by her husband, Gene; her parents; brothers, Marvin and Duane Smith and sisters, Ruth Anne Thompson and Edythe Woodrow. Leora is survived by her six children: Barbara (Charles) Verhulst, Reva, SD, Lyman (Gail) Turbiville, Rio Rancho, NM, Douglas (Jessica) Turbiville, Harrison, NE, Ronald (Cheryl) Turbiville, Camp Crook, SD, Ronda (Todd) Fink, Prairie City, SD, and Esther (Kurk) Sabo, Hot Springs, SD; 19 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, brothers Leroy, Larry and Randy (Mary) Smith; sisters, Helen Brengle and Faye Nissen; uncles, George and Bill Amsden and aunt, Shirley Jacobsen; numerous nieces and nephews, a very special ?sister? Ramona (Duane) Smith and special friends Shirley Moseley, Jean Burghduff and Delores (Pedersen) Beehler.


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Burial Date: May 25, 2012
Funeral Home Ekalaka, MT

Funeral Service: Friday, Camp Crook Community Center, Camp Crook, SD