Mary Ernestine Bailey Turner

October 8, 1937 – May 26, 2026

Mary Ernestine Bailey Turner left this earth on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, passing away peacefully with the ultimate comfort of knowing she was going to be with her Savior.

Ernestine was born to Ernest M. Bailey and Mary Katherine Bailey on October 8, 1937, in Houston, Texas. She grew up in Houston, attending River Oaks Elementary and Lanier Junior High before graduating from San Jacinto High School, where she proudly performed as a member of the Golden Gauchos Drill Team. It was during her youth that she met her sweetheart and the true love of her life, Milton C. Turner. The two were wed on March 31, 1956, and shared a beautiful, devoted marriage of 70 years.

Together, Ernestine and Milton built a vibrant family of six. Her children and grandchildren were the absolute center of her world. Ernestine often remarked that the best times of her life were spent celebrating their milestones. She found immense joy in watching her children achieve their goals—from high school and college graduations to thriving careers and marriages—and later took that same deep pride in watching her grandchildren chase and achieve their own goals in life.  You could often find her in the crowd cheering and supporting her grandchildren in their various activities.

Ernestine was a dedicated worker, holding several positions before spending 25 years with the Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD), where she touched many lives before her retirement. Outside of work, Ernestine was a gifted creator. She loved sewing clothes for herself and her daughters, and her hands were rarely still as she crafted beautiful pieces of all kinds.

Above all, Ernestine was a woman of unwavering faith. Her Christian journey began as a young girl at the Evangelistic Temple on the bayou in downtown Houston and continued at the Lord's Church where she gave her heart to the Lord and was baptized.  Her family later attended Heights Assembly of God, and she eventually met Milton while attending Central Assembly. Throughout her life, Ernestine was an active, joyful servant in every church she belonged to, volunteering in programs ranging from children's ministries to adult groups. She especially enjoyed directing the Christmas programs at Faith Assembly and Glad Tidings.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Milton C. Turner; her children, Milton Clyde Turner Jr. and wife Kristin, Cynthia Kaye Gallagher and husband Arthur, and Cheryl Renee Black and husband Butch; her cherished grandchildren, Sarah Gabrielle Wahl and husband Andrew, Bailey Danielle Vaughan and husband Grant,  Aughtney Hope Cox and husband Preston, Michael Ethan Gallagher, Thomas "Trey" William Black and wife Makenzie, Isaiah Clyde Turner, Isabella Faith Black, and Zachary Johns and wife Mallory; and her precious great-grandsons, Edmund John Wahl and Grayson Alexander Vaughan. She also leaves behind her special "grandkids before she had grandkids," Suzy Walker Reich and Ryan Korn, as well as a large, loving network of brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless others whom she held close to her heart and considered family.

Ernestine was reunited in heaven with her parents, Ernest Mathew and Mary Katherine Denson Bailey; her beloved son, Ernest Mathew Turner; her siblings, Bonnie Faye Conley Reedy, Ivy Lynn Speers, and Freddie Henderson Bailey Sr.; and many other loved ones.

Friends are invited to visit with the family between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, at Klein Funeral Home - CyFair Northwest, 9719 Wortham Blvd., Houston, TX 77065. A service celebrating Ernestine's life and faith will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, June 1, at Discovery Church, 13730 Cypress N. Houston Rd., Cypress, TX 77429, with a reception to follow. A graveside committal service will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Monday at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77077.