Iva Turinsky passed away on Wednesday, December 15, 2010, at Franciscan Villa where she had lived since 2006. She was 98 years old, and with her died a real living history of Tulsa County.

Iva moved to Tulsa County as a four year old in 1916. Her father W.R. Durham opened a grocery store in Bixby, and Iva grew up there and graduated from Bixby High School in 1932. In 1934 she married Adolph Turinsky whose father was in the race for land in Oklahoma, and owned a ranch South West of Bixby. Iva gave birth to three children: Al, Suzy and Joe. Joe died in 1946, and Iva raised Al and Suzy as a single parent during the 1950's. Even though she had no formal education she managed to school Al and Suzy in private schools. They both graduated from Holy Family High School in Tulsa.

Iva Turinsky has been an active citizen of the City of Tulsa since 1949, when she began her working career with a wholesale furniture company in Tulsa. At age 50 she joined the Corps of Engineers where she worked until age 78.

Iva spent most of her time in old downtown Tulsa and loved shopping and visiting with all she met. In 1962 she won a Ford Falcon that was given away by the Tulsa downtown merchants. She was a familiar figure who strolled Boulder Street from her Second Street office to Holy Family Cathedral to 12:00 o'clock daily mass.

After her retirement from the Corps of Engineers she became a full time volunteer at the flower desk at St. John's Hospital. When she wasn't on duty at the flower desk she was visiting all those people in the hospital from her parish of Madalene, of Tulsa, and St. Clements parish of Bixby.

She is survived by her son Al Turinsky of Honey Grove, Texas, her daughter, Suzzane Watts of Little Rock, Arkansas, six grandchildren,15 great- grandchildren, and one great- great-grandchild.

She will be missed by all who knew her, and will be remembered as an iconic figure in several communities.

A Rosary will be 6:30 p.m., Friday, December 17, 2010, at Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel and a Funeral Mass will be 9:30 a.m., Saturday, December 18, 2010, at Church of the Madalene. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Tulsa.