Donald Dale Turnquist, 90, a 30-year resident of Hutchinson (Reno County), KS, died June 13, 2026, at Good Samaritan Society – Hutchinson Village. He was born March 28, 1936, in Wayne Township (Custer County), NE, on the family farm. This little community was called New Hope. His parents were Godfrey Elam Turnquist, Sr. and Edith Lilliam (Johnson) Turnquist. Don went to country school in a basement schoolhouse at the end of his family’s long drive; and then into Gothenburg, NE, to high school and graduated from Gothenburg High School in 1955. He then joined the United States Army on July 26, 1956, and spent most of two years in Germany. Don came home and was transferred to the United States Army Reserves and received his honorable discharges from the Reserves on July 25, 1962. His family’s farm would later be honored for being a 100-year-old Nebraska farm. On January 3, 1961, Don married Kathleen Ann Woodburn in Greeley (Weld County), Colorado. To this union one child was born, Rodney Lane Turnquist, on September 9, 1961, in Gothenburg, Nebraska. Don and Kathy lived in several towns during their 65 years of marriage. First in Gothenburg, Nebraska, where Don worked for the City Gas Company and then Ingalls Grain Company, whose manager was Kathy’s dad, Alfred Woodburn. In 1966 they moved to Satana, KS, and Don worked for the Co-Op Grain Company. Then he heard about Panhandle Eastern and he bugged them till they finally hired him and they moved to Kismet, KS, in 1967 and Don became an oiler, fieldman, small equipment operator and road grader operator for Panhandle. They pipe natural gas across the country. They then moved to Plains, KS, in 1969, just seven miles away. Their son Rod went to grade school in Kismet and Plains and then to the high school where he graduated. It was between the two towns on Highway 54. Kathy worked for the Co-Op for four years and then for Collingwood Grain Company which was bought out by Archer Daniel Middleton (ADM). Don retired from Panhandle Eastern in 1991 and still being young he went to work for the DeKalb Hog Farm just outside of Plains. Kathy did their grain books for one year and then they moved to Hutchinson, KS, in 1995 where Kathy went to work at the head office for ADM. She retired in 2003 after having worked 29 years for the two grain companies. Don carried out groceries for Dillons and drove the road grader for Reno County to keep himself busy. They sold their home of 30 years in September of 2025. They moved to an apartment at Good Samaritan Society – Hutchinson Village. Don had Parkinson’s and took many falls and so he moved up to the nursing home at Good Samaritan in March of 2026.

Don was a loving husband and father. He loved animals and always had a dog; his last one is named Watson and is Kathy’s dog, but Don loved him too. Don’s favorite thing in life was being a Nebraska Husker fan. One bedroom was full of Husker memorabilia. He collected it all and his birthday and Christmas gifts were mostly red. Don’s favorite was a cane that Rod had bought him that was hand carved with a Husker symbol of a cowboy in a red hat and sold in Canada. He took it everywhere with him. Don loved music and though he had no musical training, he loved to sing; he would sing a solo Happy Birthday to each of his friends and family members. His favorite TV shows were musicals. Don loved to tinker in his garage and was always inventing things to make maintenance around home easier for himself. He was a good neighbor and would help them when needed. He had a dry sense of humor and a lot of his own silly sayings like his mother. Don attended the First United Methodist Church and would always volunteer to help the Women’s group to clean up after anything they had going on. He belonged to the Elks Club in Liberal, KS, and loved to go dine and dance there until the family moved to Hutchinson.

Don is survived by: his wife of 65 years, Kathy of Hutchinson, KS; sister, Ellen Jean (Turnquist) Dennis of Kearney, NE; son, Rodney Lane (Becky) Turnquist of Valley Center, KS; grandsons, Dustin Tyrell (Jami) Turnquist of Kansas City and Casey (Sarah) Turnquist of Augusta, KS; Becky’s children (grandchildren), Dawn (Chris) Johnson and Amber (Joey) Lang, both of Valley Center, KS, and Kyle (Malaysia) Schumaker of Park City, KS; 17 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; brothers-in-law, Donald (Vicki) Woodburn of Lincoln, NE and Steve Fries of McCook, NE; as well as a host of nieces and nephews on both sides of the family.

He was preceded in death by: his parents, Godfrey Elam Turnquist, Sr. and Edith Lillian (Johnson) Turnquist Lindsburg; stepfather, Joe Lindsburg; father-in-law, Alfred Woodburn; mother-in-law, Irene (Helzer) Woodburn; grandson, Cody Turnquist (Casey’s twin); brothers, Wendel Max (Sue) Turnquist and Godfrey Elam (Gretchen) Turnquist, Jr.; brothers-in-law, Bernard Dennis and Phyl Alan Woodburn; and sister-in-law, Gayleen Lou (Woodburn) Fries.

Cremation has taken place and a private family inurnment will take place in Resthaven Cemetery, Wichita, KS.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Hutchinson Animal Shleter, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.