Clair Turgeon, 91

Clair Turgeon, 91, of Winner, SD passed away on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 at the Avera Healthcare Facility in Gregory, SD.

Lawrence “Clair” Turgeon was born Aug. 9, 1929, in Burke, SD to Marie and Abe Turgeon. He was the youngest of ten children. When he was a few years old, they moved to “the ranch” near Mission. Clair remembered the dust storms. He and his brother, Don, gathered tumbleweeds and placed them into feed bunks. His father told the boys to sprinkle salt water on them so the cattle would eat it.

When he was 8, his family moved to Littleberg where his parents ran a grocery store. The store was near the country school which made Clair happy because he did not have to walk far to get there. A special memory he talked about was when he had 25 cents and he purchased admittance to a movie, popcorn, an ice cream cone, and rides at the carnival in Valentine, Neb., while visiting his older sister. The movie was “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

In 1941, they moved to Mission where Abe ran a gas station. During lunch, Clair would run to Hoffine’s Cafe and wash dishes in exchange for a hamburger. He was an Altar Server all the years they lived in Littleberg and Mission. He served till he was taller than the priest. The priest said masses at more than one parish and he rode along. He even served at his oldest brother’s wedding.

After Abe passed away in 1943, Marie moved the house from Littleberg to Burke. Clair went to high school there and graduated in 1947. After high school, he spent time helping Cornell Siler wire houses.

During this time, Clair played baseball for his hometown. At a  game in Dallas, he saw a lovely blonde girl.. He went home that night and told his mother that he “had met the woman he was going to marry”. At the time, he did not even know her name. Clair was right. In 1949 on Oct. 3, Clair and Shirley (McKenzie) were married wearing matching brown suits.  They lived with Clair’s sister Alvina Larimer near Mission until their first child was born in 1950. Clair  helped his older brother, Bob, dig wells.

They moved back to Burke and Clair worked for Fullerton Lumber and Melvin Bresee in the hardware store. Shortly after, he bought the ice cream store. Clair and Shirley ran Clair’s Ice Cream Parlor for a year. He returned to Fullerton Lumber and managed that until 1958. He was then offered and accepted the Burke City manager job.. During that time, he was a member of the fire department and ambulance crew. In 1970 he took the city manager job in Winner, which resulted in moving his family to Winner.

Clair enjoyed taking his family to the Black Hills for vacations. They would take their van and everyone would sleep in it. Great memories were made on these trips. Clair also loved to go fishing. His kids remember their dad coming home after work and wanting to go fishing. The lucky two who were chosen to go were told to go to the bathroom, get a jacket, keep quiet, and get in the car.

Clair retired from the city in 1979 and at that time he and Shirley bought the Speed Queen Laundromat and Car Wash. They ran those businesses for 22 years. After all those years, Clair and Shirley enjoyed retirement together. He drove vehicles for Harry K. Ford during retirement too. He seemed to know where every Arby’s was in the Midwest. He enjoyed driving until 2015.

Clair and Shirley enjoyed their time with their loved ones. He was a wonderful son, brother, uncle, cousin, husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

He would say that he was a jack of all trades and a master of none, but his family would argue differently. He was an electrician, plumber, carpenter, baseball player, golfer, bowler, hunter, trapper, fisherman, and gambler (and a BSer). He liked to introduce his family to different things. He helped his family raise chickens and rabbits. He had bait tanks to sell minnows. There was always a huge garden and they would do lots of home canning. One year, the family raised cucumbers and sold them to Gedney’s. Clair and Shirley would take the family to pick wild grapes to make jelly and grape juice. In recent years Clair especially loved the apple tree near the house. He would peel the apples and take them to all his friends.  He also enjoyed brightening the neighborhood with his vibrant Christmas displays.

He was a lifelong devout Catholic and a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Winner.

Clair is survived by his children Sandra (Alan) Hubbard, their children Erin, Scott, Rachel, Andrew and their families; David (Kathy) Turgeon, their daughters Stacy and Jamie and their families; Rick (Joey) Turgeon, their children Jessie, Tony, Paige and their families; Carol Turgeon; Nancy Turgeon, and her children Jenny and Jordan; Ed (Teri) Turgeon, and their daughters Nikki and Tiffany and their families; Doug (Leah) Turgeon, their children Dana and Daria and their families; Larry (Kim) Turgeon and their daughter Blaire;  20 great-grandchildren, one brother Don Turgeon, one sister in-law Maxine Moxon-Davis, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife Shirley; an infant son Kevin James; a granddaughter Rebecca Hubbard; a  grandson Alex Turgeon; his parents, Abe and Marie; siblings Bob (Evelyn) Turgeon; Alvina (Paul Larimer); Romona (Robert McKinney); Herbert Turgeon (infant); Rosalie (Art) Wilson; Betty (Roger) Eastlund; George (Irene) Turgeon; Ben (Bernice) Turgeon; parents in-law Homer and Pearl McKenzie; brothers in-law Jim (Loretta) McKenzie; Ken (Mardy) McKenzie; Duane Moxon; and Mort Davis; sister in-law Marjorie Turgeon.