Frances Helen Turnage, age 75, of Decatur, Alabama, passed away on March 19, 2026. Born November 17, 1950, in Denver, Colorado. A Celebration of Life Service will begin Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Decatur Alabama, with Austin Dupper officiating. There will be a Celebration Of Life Service in Kosciusko Mississippi on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. She will be laid to rest at Parkway Cemetery, Kosciusko, Mississippi.
Frances is survived by her husband, Neal Turnage; her son, John Turnage; her grandson, Joshua Turnage; and a grandchild expected in six months. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Jewel Carballo of Kosciusko, Mississippi.
Born in Denver, Colorado, Frances’s parents soon moved the family to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Following high school graduation, she attended junior college before entering RN Nursing School at the University of Oklahoma, where she excelled. She later married Neal Turnage in Little Rock, Arkansas. Frances worked in the Pulaski County Medical Division and was soon moved to the state level, eventually being promoted to Head Nurse for communicable disease. Following the birth of her son John in 1984, the family moved to Mississippi.
In Mississippi, Frances developed an interest in teaching, obtained her teaching certificate, and taught grade school for many years. While teaching, she continued her education and completed her master’s degree.
Frances was devoted and loved by family and friends. She was active in church, school programs, and the DAR, where she served as Regent. As her family fondly noted, while many mothers were considered “helicopter moms,” Frances was “like a cobra attack helicopter” when it came to protecting her child and family. Her life was truly a life of service—she loved her Lord and Savior, her family, and the USA. Her greatest disappointment was leaving this world before grandchild number two arrived, yet her love and influence will endure, and her memory will remain a lasting comfort to those who knew her. Her Love will never be replaced.
Paid Obituary
