Henry Wyatt Turk

Henry Wyatt Turk, age 88, of Grants Pass, died Thursday, May 7, 2009 at Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford.

A memorial Service will be at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at Hull & Hull Chapel with a gathering to follow. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Henry was born to Samuel J. Turk and Mae Minerva Ramsey Turk on February 23, 1920 in Pawhuska Oklahoma. They moved here in 1929 where he grew up and graduated from Grants Pass High School in 1938. In 1940 Henry married Jean Campbell, to which they had three children and later divorced. He enlisted in the Air Corp in 1943 until 1945, and then took a job here with the power company. He began farming at a young age and established Turk Bulb Farms to become a nationwide gladiolus grower for fifty years and was honored in the Hall of Fame for gladiolus growers. In the early nineteen fifty’s, Henry bought into a partnership with Grants Pass Sanitation, which he ran until the 1990’s. Henry was also an accomplished pilot, he bred and raced Quarter Horses. He was also a lifetime member of the Wonder Bur Caf Coffee Club for decades. Henry was a member of the Shriner’s, the Masonic Temple, the BPOE Elk’s Club, The American Quarter Horse Association and donated many resources to the Boy’s and Girl’s club. He was also known as Mr. Patriotic. In 1999 he married the former Iris Swaggerty, who survives, along with a son, Ken Turk and wife Linda of Savannah, GA. His daughters, Lana Johnson of Grants Pass, Debbie Wilson and husband Matt Wilson of Grants Pass. Two Step-daughters, Gail Harris of Preston WA and Donna McClintock of San Clemente, CA. He also had many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Along with his long time foreman and lifetime friend, Ken Johnson and his caretakers this past year, Dahnn, Grady, Sandy and Kathy. In lieu of flowers, donations can be mad to the local Boy’s and Girl’s Club, 203 SE 9th Street, Grants Pass, Oregon 97526 or to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland Oregon 97201.