Retha Stout Turner Salmon

On June 9th, 2005, Retha Stout Turner Salmon, died in Johnson City, TN and has now moved on to a higher plane. Born in 1917, Retha grew up in Harlan, KY and attended the Pine Mountain Settlement School, at a time when there was only a long, rutted dirt road into the area. She was later happily married for 38 years to Eugene Turner of Evarts, KY. During that time they had three children: Jeanniene Turner-Posey, now living in Utah; James P. Turner, a registered nurse on the Arizona Navaho Reservation and Dr. Catana L. Turner, professor at U.V.A?s College at Wise, Virginia. She has five grandchildren residing in Tx, NC, UT and Germany. She began working for the first telephone company in Harlan County, which was to later become part of the South Central Bell System. Beginning as a switchboard operator, who placed vocally ordered numbers by plugging in cords one by one. She was to later experience the rapid transition of the telephone industry as it went to a more automated and computerized system. After several years she was promoted to a management position, where she worked until retirement at 55 and went to live in Erwin, TN. While working as a volunteer at the Unicoi County Hospital gift shop, she met Mac Salmon. Later, at the young age of 65, they were married and spent four happy years together. When decreasing eye sight began to be a problem, she decided she wanted to move to Colonial Hills Retirement Center in Johnson City, TN, where she quickly adapted to making many new friends with the residents and staff and was always interested and happy to be able to participate in local traveling and scheduled events with her friends. Visitation will be held at the Morris-Baker Funeral Home in Johnson City on Sunday, June 12, 2005, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. in their North Chapel, followed by a brief funeral service. A graveside service will be conducted on Monday, June 13, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. in the Rest Haven Cemetery, Harlan, KY.