Florence G. Turner

Flo was born and grew up on the family farm in the town of Milan, Dutchess County, New York. She lived with her Father, Herbert Wadlin and her mother Caroline Friedman Wadlin, two brothers and six sisters, all of whom preceded her in death. She learned from the earliest age to love animals and cared for the

horses, dairy cows, sheep and pigs on the farm. She worked in the family gardens, harvested hay and crops and did all the other work required for a family farm. Until she graduated from eighth grade, she attended a one room schoolhouse with her siblings which was just down the road from the farm. When she entered high school, she attended and graduated from Rhinebeck High School in Rhinebeck, NY.

After graduating, she enrolled in nursing school at Hudson River State Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY. This was a state psychiatric hospital and students were required to work for their education. She was enrolled in a three-year nursing diploma program. One of the three years had to be spent in a general hospital. For her second year, she was sent to Bellevue Hospital in New York City, about ninety miles from Rhinebeck.

While at Bellevue, she met Charles Turner, who was also a nursing student at St. Lawrence State Hospital in Ogdensburg, NY. He was also doing his general hospital year, but it was his third and final year. Flo and Charlie decided they wished to get married, but she still had a year of nursing school to complete and in those days, if a female student married, she was required to leave the program. Therefore, she told Charlie that they would have to wait for her graduation and passage of the State of NY nursing exam. Charlie took a job at a hospital in White Plains, NY. They were about sixty miles apart, but it was an easy train ride from White Plains to Poughkeepsie and Charlie often made the trip up to see Flo.

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the US entered WWII. Charlie immediately enlisted and as he was a surgical nurse, he was taken into the US Navy and without any other training was assigned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital. He continued to wait for Flo to finish her nursing training. After her graduation and passing the NY Nursing Exams they planned their wedding. They were married at Good Shepard Catholic Church in Rhinebeck, NY on November 14, 1942.

They had to wait to start a family as Charlie was shipped out to serve on the Aircraft Carrier, USS Yorktown. He was in thirteen battles in the South Pacific. While he was overseas, Flo worked as a nurse at the US Maritime Hospital in Sheeps Head Bay NY.

When Charlie returned at the end of the war, they were able to start their family. They had one son: Charles Turner, 3rd (Lyudmila) and four daughters: Constance Marger (Martin), Diana Nowels (George), Angela Turner and Theresa Geer. Flo had nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Flo and Charlie moved to the St. Leonard’s Community in Centerville, Ohio over thirty years ago. They were active in community activities. Flo volunteered in many areas. It was always said in our family that Flo never met anyone who wasn’t a friend. Flo loved gardening, especially flowers and bird watching. Charlie passed away in 2001. They were married 58 years.

Flo will have a Catholic Funeral Mass for the deceased at 11 AM on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at the Chapel and Bell Tower, St. Leonard’s Community, 8100 Clyo Road, Centerville, Ohio 45458. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Leonards at the address above.