John William Ternus

TERNUS, JOHN WILLIAM

In Carmichael, August 20, 2003. Born September 19, 1919 in Colman, South Dakota. He is survived by his sister Frances Olsen of Santa Rosa, California, his daughter Frances Ternus and granddaughter Michelle Ternus of Emeryville, California, and son Earl Ternus of Carmichael. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Mary Scott Ternus, and son, John W. Ternus III. After graduating from high school in 1933, he moved to Texas in search of work. Eventually, he enrolled at the University of Texas, Austin, where he met his wife. Among hundreds of candidates, he was one of 13 selected for the first Naval ROTC program at UT, and was also a reporter on the campus newspaper, the Daily Texan. After graduating in 1943 with a degree in journalism, he was stationed aboard the USS Halligan, which accompanied President Roosevelt across the Atlantic to the Tehran Conference. Six months after he was reassigned, the ill-fated Halligan lost two-thirds of her crew (and all of her officers) off Okinawa. He served the remainder of the war as a lieutenant junior grade aboard tankers and aircraft carriers, including the USS Hornet, in the South Pacific. After the war, he and his wife settled in the Central Valley. He worked as a reporter for a number of California dailies, including the Sacramento Bee. In addition, he spent a year as a television broadcaster at Channel 10. In 1958 he purchased the Carmichael Courier newspaper. With the help of his wife, he published the weekly Courier for 15 years. A lifelong Democrat, he was known for his candid, often liberal editorials. He was an early supporter of local parks and recreation areas, including Ancil Hoffman Park, American River Parkway and Effie Yeaw Nature Center. The Courier was an advocate for local schools and youth in general and was the recipient of numerous accommodations, ranging from the state legislature to the San Juan Unified School District. After selling the Courier, Ternus and his wife moved to Washington, D.C. in 1975. Initially, he was a writer for a newspaper for the Congressional staff and then was a speech writer for the Census Bureau's agriculture department. In 1988, after his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he returned to Carmichael. He was a patient, loving and devoted caregiver to his wife until her death in 1997. In his later years, he continued to be a passionate Democrat, especially in his support of President Clinton during impeachment proceedings. His charm, wit and intelligence will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Friends and family are invited to a memorial service at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 5055 Cottage Way, Carmichael, on Wednesday, August 27,2003 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Our Lady of the Assumption school.