Ruth Turney Obituary

Ruth Anderson Turney, 87 died at home in Lawrence, Kansas on October 9, 2016. Ruth was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, November 25, 1928, the daughter of Charles W. Anderson and Clara Polson Anderson. She grew up in New Bedford, graduated from New Bedford High School and from Brown University with an A.B. in mathematics in the class of 1949.

She moved to New York City to work in the trust department of Morgan Guaranty Trust. There she married Austin H. Turney in 1951. She and her husband moved to Danbury and later to Bethel, Connecticut. There she was an active volunteer with Planned Parenthood. She also created a library in her church. She became a member of Church and Synagogue Library Association and attended 42 consecutive national conventions where she often gave a workshop. She had a key role in three CSLA national conventions, two in Hartford, CT and one in Kansas City, MO.

She earned an MA in English literature from Western Connecticut State University and, in 1978, an MS in library science from Southern Connecticut State University. She was employed by the Ferguson Library in Stamford, CT as a cataloger of music and foreign language materials.

She was active in the Episcopal Church both in Connecticut and Kansas serving on several committees and on the executive council of the Diocese of Connecticut.

She retired with her husband in 1994 to Lawrence, KS where she revitalized the library of Trinity Episcopal Church and was volunteer librarian at the Douglas County Jail.

She enjoyed many art, musical and dramatic performances both in New York City and in Lawrence.

With her husband she traveled extensively on military history tours in Europe, and tours in the U.S. about the Civil War and the conflicts in the settlement of the western United States.

Survivors include her husband and son in Lawrence, KS as well as family in Yakima, WA, California and in Sweden.

Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 21, 2016 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lawrence, KS.

Memorials may be made in her name to Church & Synagogue Library Association or National Alopecia Areata Foundation and may be sent in care of the Warren-McElwain Mortuary.

Online condolences may be sent to warrenmcelwain.com.