KRISTRUN TURNER

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KRISTRUN TURNER 1918 - 2016 Peacefully, on October 28, 2016, Kristrún Ingibjörg Gudrun Turner (nee Johnson), 98, passed away in Winnipeg MB. Kristrún was born in Wynyard, SK, to Steingrimur Johnson and Jakobína Johnson (nee Westdal) on October 6, 1918. She grew up on a farm just outside of town where her parents had a homestead. She was the second child in a family of three children which included her older brother Einar and her younger sister Alda. Icelandic heritage was very important in her family and she maintained the ability to read, write and speak Icelandic throughout her life. Kristrún had happy memories of her childhood; attending the one room school at Nordra and playing with her cousins and friends. After graduation she moved to Winnipeg and attended Success Business College. She found employment in Winnipeg with Building Products of Canada where she met her future husband Herb and together they raised a family of three girls. Throughout Herb's career with BP, he was transferred several times and the family moved to Vancouver, Montreal and back to Winnipeg. In addition to raising her family, Kristrún worked outside the home, as a Secretary at local schools and Ducks Unlimited, at Kmart, and as a Library Assistant for the Icelandic Collection at the University of Manitoba. Kristrún was a devoted mother to her own girls and many other people who considered her a second mom. She was genuinely interested in everyone she met, did not judge anyone and made everyone feel valued and special. She had a listening ear and a helpful hand for everyone whose life she touched. Kristrún had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, she was an avid reader and attended educational and personal development workshops into her 90s. When computers arrived she took courses to learn how to use them. FaceBook and email became her lifeline and her connection to others, especially in her later years when she was less able to get around. Kristrún was a strong women determined to maintain her independence. Physical fitness was important to her and she worked with a personal trainer twice a week until the week of her death. One of Kristrún's favourite places was Lake Winnipeg and the Gimli area. She enjoyed two cottages there for many years and after they were sold, she rented a cottage in Gimli each summer. Even last year she was able to walk in the sand and stick her toes in the lake, much to her delight! As much as she loved Manitoba, Kristrún also loved to travel and looked forward to her annual trips out to visit Lois in Victoria and Vancouver each spring. There she created a new circle of friends and so enjoyed exploring the province and Pacific Northwest area. Her love for her heritage led her to several trips to Iceland, first with her sister and later various daughters. She established strong connections with her Icelandic cousins and through the miracle of technology maintained close relationships with them. Kristrún is preceded in death by her husband, Herb Turner, her brother Einar Johnson and her sister, Alda Burton. Kristrún is survived by her daughters Judy (Chuck), Peggy (Paul) and Lois; her nephew John and her nieces Maureen and Leslie; her grandchildren Devon, Alberta, Bina, Thiea (Paul), Dawn (Tal) and Jamie; her great-grandchildren Andrea, Joann, Kayla, Kylie, Ilaina and Kayden; and her great-great-grandchildren Tyler and Erika. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, November 12, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. at Neil Bardal Funeral Centre, 3030 Notre Dame Avenue, across from Brookside Cemetery with Pastor Dean Anderson officiating. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the Icelandic newspaper Lögberg-Heimskringla Inc., PO Box 62059 Transcona, Winnipeg, MB, R2C 5G2, or http://www.lh-inc.ca/index.php/donations Condolences may be left in Kristrún's online guestbook at http://www.nbardal.mb.ca/book-of-memories/2758452/Turner-Kristrun/view-condolences.php. You can follow this same link to watch the live streamed webcast. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to family and friends who have supported her daughters during this time, and to Eirik Bardal for his compassion and guidance. Góda ferd elskan og Gud geymi pig. NEIL BARDALFUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 05, 2016