Obituary for "Larry" Lawrence N. Turbak
Larry Turbak, age 87 passed Sunday December 4, 2022 at Avantara Watertown with his family by his side.
Visitation will be from 4-7 PM on Thursday December 8, 2022 at the Wight and Comes Funeral Chapel, with a Rosary at 7 PM and a time of sharing to follow.
Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 AM on Friday December 9, 2022 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg with Fr. Christopher Hughes officiating with organist Eileen Lindner and soloist LeRoy Mack.
Burial will be in the Holy Rosary Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Larry’s grandsons, Tyler Turbak, Nick Simonsen, and Brayden Kleinsasser and grandsons-in-law, Mike Byer, Austin Koenig, Spencer Neuharth, and Spencer Hauge.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Larry’s granddaughters, Megan Byer, Kelsey and Rebecca Moser, Alyssa Hauge, Shelby and Madison Huber and granddaughters-in-law, Maria Turbak and Sammi Brink.
Larry was born April 6, 1935, the ninth of Albert and Anna (Schweinfurt) Turbak’s 12 children. He attended Holy Rosary School in Kranzburg and graduated from Watertown High School in 1953. Following graduation, he and his brother Butch formed the Turbak Bros. Mink Ranch which was Larry’s career until his retirement.
Larry married Gay Limberg at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg on September 9, 1961 and were blessed with five children. Gay passed away in 2011 and Larry remained living in Kranzburg until he moved to Avantara Watertown, where he resided for the past five years. His roots in Kranzburg and his family were very important to him.
Larry loved the outdoors and when he wasn’t working, he could be found out hunting, fishing or camping with friends and family. Oh, the stories he told of those times! He bowled with his dad and brothers on the Turbak Brothers bowling team, and other teams over the years, and earned several State bowling titles himself. He was proud of the many awards earned by the Turbak Bros. Mink Ranch for their top-quality mink pelts that were sold across the U.S. and even internationally. In 1957, Larry was part of a group of men (including his dad and a couple of his brothers) who came up with the idea for Kranzburg to host a celebration for the 4th of July – an annual tradition that has continued for years!
In the late 1950’s, while in basic training for the National Guard at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, Larry became an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, a passion he passed along to several of his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. Larry was also a staunch supporter of Watertown Arrow Athletics and was proud to have earned the nickname “Crazy Legs” and being named Chief of the Arrows his senior year by his football teammates. In his later years, “Grandpa Larry” could be found cheering on the Arrows at many sporting events, or the loudest fan at any event one of his grandkids was a part of, and attending American Legion Baseball games every summer. Anyone that knew Larry could count on his teasing banter and giggle to put a smile on their face.
Larry is survived by his children: Scott (Shelly) Turbak of Watertown, Lynn (Greg) Moser of Yankton, SD, Janet (Jeff) Huber of Menno, SD, and Sherry (Lonnie) Kleinsasser of Watertown, nine grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, his daughter Janel Simonsen, granddaughter Brooke Ann Moser, his parents, five brothers and six sisters. He was the last living child of the Turbak 12.
Visitation will be from 4-7 PM on Thursday December 8, 2022 at the Wight and Comes Funeral Chapel, with a Rosary at 7 PM and a time of sharing to follow.
Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 AM on Friday December 9, 2022 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg with Fr. Christopher Hughes officiating with organist Eileen Lindner and soloist LeRoy Mack.
Burial will be in the Holy Rosary Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Larry’s grandsons, Tyler Turbak, Nick Simonsen, and Brayden Kleinsasser and grandsons-in-law, Mike Byer, Austin Koenig, Spencer Neuharth, and Spencer Hauge.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Larry’s granddaughters, Megan Byer, Kelsey and Rebecca Moser, Alyssa Hauge, Shelby and Madison Huber and granddaughters-in-law, Maria Turbak and Sammi Brink.
Larry was born April 6, 1935, the ninth of Albert and Anna (Schweinfurt) Turbak’s 12 children. He attended Holy Rosary School in Kranzburg and graduated from Watertown High School in 1953. Following graduation, he and his brother Butch formed the Turbak Bros. Mink Ranch which was Larry’s career until his retirement.
Larry married Gay Limberg at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg on September 9, 1961 and were blessed with five children. Gay passed away in 2011 and Larry remained living in Kranzburg until he moved to Avantara Watertown, where he resided for the past five years. His roots in Kranzburg and his family were very important to him.
Larry loved the outdoors and when he wasn’t working, he could be found out hunting, fishing or camping with friends and family. Oh, the stories he told of those times! He bowled with his dad and brothers on the Turbak Brothers bowling team, and other teams over the years, and earned several State bowling titles himself. He was proud of the many awards earned by the Turbak Bros. Mink Ranch for their top-quality mink pelts that were sold across the U.S. and even internationally. In 1957, Larry was part of a group of men (including his dad and a couple of his brothers) who came up with the idea for Kranzburg to host a celebration for the 4th of July – an annual tradition that has continued for years!
In the late 1950’s, while in basic training for the National Guard at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, Larry became an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, a passion he passed along to several of his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. Larry was also a staunch supporter of Watertown Arrow Athletics and was proud to have earned the nickname “Crazy Legs” and being named Chief of the Arrows his senior year by his football teammates. In his later years, “Grandpa Larry” could be found cheering on the Arrows at many sporting events, or the loudest fan at any event one of his grandkids was a part of, and attending American Legion Baseball games every summer. Anyone that knew Larry could count on his teasing banter and giggle to put a smile on their face.
Larry is survived by his children: Scott (Shelly) Turbak of Watertown, Lynn (Greg) Moser of Yankton, SD, Janet (Jeff) Huber of Menno, SD, and Sherry (Lonnie) Kleinsasser of Watertown, nine grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, his daughter Janel Simonsen, granddaughter Brooke Ann Moser, his parents, five brothers and six sisters. He was the last living child of the Turbak 12.