The children of Virginia Pedigo Turner are hosting a reception from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 28 in the parish hall of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in honor of their mother’s 95th birthday and all are invited. The church is located at 836 W. Jones St. in Livingston.
Turner was born Feb. 27, 1931 in Woodville to Ernest and Ella Tucker Pedigo, joining older siblings Elmer Joe Pedigo and Maurine Pedigo Rienstra. She graduated from Kirby High School in 1948 and attended Baylor University before marrying Jack Turner in 1950, a union that brought five children into the world.
As an Air Force wife in the 50s, Turner lived on several military bases, including posts in Arizona, Alabama, Massachusetts, New York and Madrid, Spain. She and Jack returned to Texas in 1958 and made Livingston their forever home.
The Turner family now includes Paul Turner and his wife, Lisa Wells Turner from Kenai, Ala., Debbi Turner Van Etten and George (deceased) of Houston, William “Bill” Turner (deceased) and wife, Angie Drakos Turner of Falls Church, Va., Greg Turner and his wife, Pam Taylor Turner of Dayton, and Lisa Turner Radike and her husband, Mike of Millersville, Md. She has been blessed with nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Turner began her 30-year teaching career in the 60s after completing a bachelor’s degree and later a master’s degree at Sam Houston State University. She was a pioneering teacher of special education and reading programs offered at both Dunbar and Livingston schools.
She is a long-time member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, active in the Robert Rankin Chapter of DAR, and the Livingston Retired Teachers Association. Many in the community joined in the work she cherished with veterans and the DAR “stamp cutting” project for wounded veterans. Her involvement with the American Cancer Society and MannaFest Food Pantry was close to her heart. She is an unabashed advocate of reading, laughter and taking good care of each other.
