By ERIN BOWLEY | July 1, 2026

If you walk into Concern in Mound City, attend Sugar Mound Arts and Crafts events, or worship at Mound City’s United Methodist Church, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Lorna Turley.

Turley wears many hats in the community, keeping herself busy through a variety of volunteer roles. She serves as treasurer for Concern and occasionally works shifts there. She handles advertising for Sugar Mound Arts and Crafts, serves as secretary for the historical park, and coordinates commodities for the United Methodist Church. These volunteer opportunities came through friends and fellow church members who encouraged her to get involved.

Turley was born into a family of eight; including her four sisters and one brother. She grew up on a farm outside of Dunlap, Iowa, which “was a very small town.” As a child, she helped her father with chores around the family farm. After graduating from high school, she chose not to attend college. Instead, she completed a nine-week comptometer school, where she learned to operate early mechanical calculators used for bookkeeping and accounting. The training required speed, accuracy and significant dexterity.

She met her late husband, William, in Omaha, Neb., where he was stationed at an Air Force base. The couple married in November 1961 and spent several years traveling to different locations as his military assignments changed. Their travels allowed them to learn about the history, people and cultures of many places.

Eventually, they settled down and raised their daughter, Michele. Michele later married Joe Sternicki, and together they have two children, Joey and Kalissa. Both now live in Gardner, Kan. William passed away in 2002.

Family remains one of Turley’s greatest priorities. She enjoys attending her grandchildren’s ball games and meeting her daughter for lunch. Despite her busy schedule, she makes time for family and strives not to miss their important moments.

Before dedicating herself to volunteer work, Turley worked as a bookkeeper and later performed office work at Don Poole’s Insurance.

In addition to her community service, Turley has a passion for gardening. She plants flowers at the local high school, maintains iris beds at the historical park, and cares for the memorial garden at the Methodist Church. She has also tended gardens at the grade school. Sara Jordan, a teacher at the school, plans to bring some of her horticulture classes to help maintain the garden in the future.

Turley’s life reflects a deep commitment to service. She is known as someone willing to rise early or stay up late to help others whenever needed.

Looking back on her life, Turley expresses gratitude for her blessings.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my life and health,” she said. “God has been very good to me.”