Published: June 05, 2009 11:53 pm      

Meet Your Neighbors: Charlie Turner

Turner Electric is gearing up for a big 75th anniversary weekend and Charlie Turner has been a part of the business for most of those 75 years.

Charlie is 78 years old and remembers his teenage years working for his father, George Turner, who started the business. “Dad was mostly an electrical contractor in the early years,” Charlie says, “But Turner Electric has been from the beginning and still is an exclusive GE & Hotpoint appliance dealer.”

Charlie also remembers his Dad doing most of the electrical work for the City of Clinton and was contracted to set up Christmas lights for the city and Lyons. “He also put up a 12-foot lighted Christmas tree on the tower of the Jacobsen Building,” Charlie said.

Charlie and his brother, Don, took over the business after their father retired in 1960, but Don was the victim of a drowning accident the following year. Charlie still works at the store full time. “I even still move refrigerators around at times, but I’m not supposed to,” he said.

The business slogan when his father started the operation was “You phone for us… we’ll wire for you.” Charlie says the store’s present slogan is “We sell the best and service the rest.”

Charlie says that Turner Electric was the first store in the area to sell televisions and remembers the first TVs were packaged with the picture tube, cabinet and insides as separate pieces. “I’m sure I was the first in town to have a TV in my car,” Turner said. The rabbit-ear antennas came out of the trunk. “I also had a 45 rpm record player in the glove compartment.”

“Small appliances were really popular in the early years of the business,” Charlie said. “I remember there were four of us that kept busy wrapping appliances that were sold for Christmas presents.”

Popular items today are bottom freezer refrigerators, high efficiency laundry units and microwave ovens that bake like regular ovens and stainless steel appliances. “We have over 500 new appliances on hand plus 85 re-conditioned used appliances that are guaranteed to work as good as new,” Charlies said. “And we have over 600 variety of light bulbs.”

Turner says that the electric and appliance business has had a number of loyal employees through the years, including his sister Laura Jane Turner, who retired in 2003, and Larry Studeman, who worked in the parts department until he was 92 years old.

The 75th anniversary for Turner Electric is June 19 and 20. Besides special anniversary sales, drawings for prizes will be held with a hog roast and live music offered on Saturday, June 20. Prizes include a loose diamond from Don’s Jewelry, dishwasher, disposal unit and a knife set.

Charlie and his wife, Voda, have four children, Terry, Beth, Sandy and Aleshia, eight grandchildren, one great-grandchild and two stepgrandchildren.

Charlie is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church. He said he still enjoys motorcycling, an activity started when he was about 15 years old.