Jo Ann Turner

Jo Ann Turner, 83, of Corning, died April 19, 2014, at Alegent Creighton Health Mercy Hospital in Corning.

Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 23, at the First Presbyterian Church in Corning. Visitation with family present will be 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Pearson Family Funeral Service, 701 Seventh St., Corning. Memorials may be given to the First Presbyterian Church, Corning Public Library or Adams Community Foundation Jo Ann G. Turner Animal Welfare Fund.

Jo Ann Gustafson Turner, daughter of Billie F. and Roy H. Gustafson, was born Oct. 9, 1930, in Des Moines.

Jo Ann graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines in 1948. She attended Colorado Women’s College in Denver for her freshman year and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1952.

On Aug. 11, 1951, Jo Ann married Austin B. Turner III at Plymouth Congregational Church in Des Moines. Austin died in 2002.

After their graduation from college and Austin’s military service in Korea, they returned to Corning, where Austin assumed management of the family business, A.B. Turner and Son.

Jo Ann was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at the University of Iowa. She was involved in numerous community and regional organizations, including president of the Board of Trustees of Corning Public Library, leading its major building expansion; board member of Southwest Iowa Regional Library; board member of Mercy Health Care Foundation; Corning Woman’s Club; P.E.O. Chapter CV; and was actively involved in the successful bond issue for the Corning Elementary School building. She was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church of Corning, serving as an elder, as well as an active participant in Presbyterian Women.

Jo Ann is survived by her children, Austin Beecher Turner IV (Dianna) of Des Moines, Eric F. Turner (Lisa) of Des Moines, Alec H. Turner (Nancy) of Corning and Betsy F. Akin (Scott) of Corning; grandchildren, Daniel, William (Alaina), Drew, Connor, Ross, Ella, Sarah, Austin and Ned; and sister Jean Crandall of Mount Pleasant, Mich.

In addition to her husband, Jo Ann was preceded in death by her parents.