Service to community has long been a part of Nedra Harris Turney's life.
She was executive director of the Texarkana Chapter of the American Red Cross for 22 years and has served on the Miller County Conservation Board for 35 years.
"I've loved my conservation board. I came on the board in 1986. I'm going on 35 years on the board and I've been Board Chair the biggest part of the time," she said.
Turney was born in 1940 in Ashdown, Arkansas, while her parents were living with her maternal grandparents. After her birth, the family moved back to the Harris family farm outside Texarkana, Arkansas.
"My dad's family had this land," Turney said.
Her parents, Oscar and Katherine Harris, were a huge influence on her and their corner of Miller County has always been home.
In 2008, Nedra and her husband Jerry Turney built a house on part of the family property.
Her father worked downtown and Turney remembers visiting him at work as a child.
"I have a lot of good, good memories of riding in the back of the truck to go downtown," she said.
Some of her first memories are of the hardships of World War II.
"Being born in 1940, of course I remember the ration books," she said.
She remembers family members swapping rationing stamps for cigarettes or other luxuries.
Nedra Harris met Jerry Turney at North Heights Junior High and they soon started dating.
Nedra was a good student and active in 4-H. Her 4-H leader, John W. Measel, was a mentor and taught her a lot about leadership.
Nedra and Jerry graduated from Arkansas High School together in 1958 and married in 1959.
At that time, State National Bank (now Regions Bank) hired one Arkansas High graduate a year to work at the bank after graduation.
"I was chosen to be the student that year. It was a really big honor," Turney said.
She and Jerry both eventually worked in banking. Nedra also later worked for the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts. While working there, she and some others lobbied for employees to be considered state employees so they could have state benefits, retirement and insurance.
"That was the most awesome thing, to be able to do that," she said.
Nedra and Jerry Turney raised a son and two daughters and now have several grandchildren. In 2019, they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
In 1984, Turney went to work as executive director of the Texarkana Chapter of the American Red Cross.
"I had a friend who had worked with the Red Cross and I always had such respect for her and the work they did," Turney said.
There was never a typical day at work with the Red Cross.
The Texarkana chapter provides services to eight counties. The chapter is the primary agency for disaster preparedness and response, providing disaster training courses for volunteer and paid staff and responding to disasters, whether it be a house fire or an ice storm such as the one on Christmas 2000.
After the ice storm, as soon as they could get on the road, her husband drove her to the Red Cross office on Spruce Street and she stayed there for days, answering the phone and coordinating volunteers. Only one phone in the building worked and it was in Turney's office.
Over the years, the work with the Red Cross could be physically and emotionally demanding.
The year 2005 was especially hard as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Evacuees poured into Texarkana on buses. They were stressed and exhausted and some only had the clothes on their backs
"Those (times) were hard. We worked so many hours a day but it was very satisfying," Turney said.
After 22 years with the Red Cross, Turney retired from her position in 2006.
Another cause that has been a labor of love for Turney is her work with the Miller County Conservation Board.
Conservation districts are political subdivisions of the state of Arkansas. Their specific responsibility is management of soil and water resources. The idea behind their formation is to keep decision making on soil and water conservation matters at the local level.
Each district is governed by a board of five directors who serve without pay. Two directors are appointed by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and three are elected by resident landowners. Turney is one of the elected board members
She joined the board during a time when it was rare for a woman or a minority to serve. There are now two women on the Miller County Conservation Board
The conservation district has an office with a part-time employee at 3019 East 9th St.
"We try to educate on local resources," Turney said.
The conservation board holds an annual fishing derby and also a poster contest for local students.
The John W. Measel Center, at 515 Jefferson Ave., is a 12,000-square-foot building owned by the Miller County Conservation District. It is located at the junction of U.S. Highways 67 and 82, across the street from the Gateway Farmer's Market.
"This is where my heart is," Turney said. "We have grand plans for it and in our minds we can see it all coming together," said Turney.
The building is named for former Miller County Extension Agent (and Nedra's mentor) John Measel. It is two blocks from Texarkana Ark., High School and close to several other schools, providing easy access for after-school activities.
Turney hopes the building will house a teaching kitchen to educate the public in techniques to promote nutritious and cost-effective meals for local families.
The board receives funding from the state and the Miller County Quorum Court. County Judge Cathy Harrison has been a great advocate for the Conservation Board, Turney said. The court has approved a resolution to allow the Conservation District to benefit from fees paid at Smith Park.
Turney is hopeful these funds can contribute to the restoration of the Measel Building.
"I really have a lot of dreams for it," she said. "There is a lot the Conservation Board can do. It's like we are a sleeping giant."