Rev. Dr. Arlynne C. Turnquist

1935 - 2025

The Rev. Dr. Arlynne C. Turnquist passed from this life into the arms of Jesus Christ on September 10, 2025, at the age of 90, after a valiant struggle with Parkinson's disease. She was born to Pastor Oscar Turnquist and Doris Arnold Turnquist in Sioux City, Iowa, July 27, 1935. Following the parish assignments of her father, she grew up in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. Always a strong student, she graduated from Iowa Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in Des Moines with highest honors, completing a degree program with honors at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1958. She was awarded a master's degree in philosophy at the State University of Iowa, in 1972 before spending six years in London, England, as a Nursing Sister with duties at Westminster Abby. As firstborn, she returned to the Midwest to care for her elderly parents in 1980 where she completed theological studies at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was ordained into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament on Reformation Sunday 1989. Pastor Turnquist was called to serve yoked-in-ministry Lutheran and Anglican churches in Snyder, Texas, until she again returned to Minnesota to care for her aging mother. During that time, this ever-learning student completed online courses from Fuller Theological Seminary courses in Pasadena, California, to be awarded a Doctorate in Ministry in 1997. As she moved from place to place, Pastor Arlynne served interim congregations in numerous states, touching lives wherever she went with the Gospel and the compassion of Jesus. She moved to Fresno in 2005 to be closer to family and became an associate member at Emmanuel Anglican Church in Fresno.

Arlynne is survived by her sister, Carolyn T. Linn, son Kevin (Hoda) Linn and grandsons Carson, Braden and Oscar and by daughter Amy (Shawn) Arstein and children Jake (Rino) and Alexi (Davis) Dickerson and great-grandnephew Miles Alexander Dickerson. In addition, niece Kristin Harbin, son Davis (Rachel) Harbin, Courtney and Hanna Harbin and great-grandnephew Grant Matthew Harbin honor her memory. She will be laid to rest in Svea, Minnesota, beside the graves of her parents.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Marilyn T. Molen and grandson Stephen Molen.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 5140 N. Fruit Ave., Fresno, CA, 93711.