Betty Hendershot Turkal

Turkal

Betty Hendershot Turkal passed away October 25, 2022.

She was born on December 23, 1924, to the late Herman and Bertha Marshall Hendershot in Lower Salem, OH.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Major General Donal L. Turkal on December 17, 2002, a brother, Warren W. Hendershot in 1986, a sister, Dollie Hendershot Snyder in 2018, a brother-in-law, Marcel Snyder in 2017, and a brother-in-law, Howard Wall in 2001.

A Burial Service will take place in Arlington National Cemetery in the near future. A service date will be announced on Woody Funeral Home Parham’s website.

She is survived by:

Sister, Velma Hendershot Wall of Winter Springs, FL; Son, Donal L. Turkal Jr. and wife Susan Turkal of Richmond, VA; Son, Dennis W. Turkal of Millington, TN; Son, David J. Turkal and wife, Barbra Turkal of Conroe, TX; Nephews, Dan Snyder of Alexandria, VA; Jim (Gloria) Snyder of Alexandria, VA; Niece, Kimberly (Keith) Hinson of Mt. Airy, NC.

Grandchildren: Wren (Rachel), Toni, Dani (Joseph) Herron, James (Colleen), Kristen, Kristie, and Alex. Great-grandchildren: Riley, Aerik, and Remington.

Betty graduated from Salem Liberty High School in Lower Salem, OH, in 1942, and was a member of the basketball team for two years that had won the Washington County championship for eight years. She attended a one-room school in Germantown that taught all grades through the eighth grade. She attended three months of business school in Marietta, OH, and then worked at Patterson Field, Dayton, OH, for ten months after which she transferred to the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, DC where she worked until her marriage to Donal.

When Betty was 39 years old, she started college at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, and graduated four years later (1967) with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Business Education. She was a member of the DAR, organizing President of the Missouri Reserve Officers Association (Ladies) and President of the St. Louis Reserve Officers Association (Ladies). She was a charter member of the University Women in Creve Coeur, MO.

Betty and her husband were, at times, members of Richmond Country Club in Richmond, VA, Forest Hills Country Club in St. Louis, MO, Mendekota Country Club in St. Paul, MN, Eagle Mountain Country Club in Fort Worth, TX, and Bradenton Country Club in Bradenton, FL. She played golf in the Texas Military Dependents Tournaments and TX Senior Tournaments, as well as many invitational tournaments. She also played golf in the Richmond, VA, city tournaments and in the Missouri and Minnesota State Golf Tournaments. She obviously enjoyed playing golf! This is witnessed by the fact that Betty garnered, not one, but two legitimate holes-in-one! And finally, Betty played St. Andrews, where golf was invented, in Scotland.

Betty especially loved her family, her golf, her home, her gardening, and her independence.

Special thanks goes to Spring Arbor’s staff, all Betty’s caregivers, and a big thank you to Shakera Chavis, the epitome of personal caregivers.