Benefit Flyer

YOU’RE INVITED TO A BENEFIT TO HELP WENDY TURNIDGE WENDY IS DEALING WITH HER 33 YEAR OLD HUSBAND’S SUDDEN AND TRAGIC DEATH, AS WELL AS HER ONGOING PERSONAL ILLNESS. SHE ALSO NEEDS TO PAY FOR MEDICAL BILLS FOR BOTH HER AND MARK (PAST AND PRESENT) AS WELL AS EVERYDAY LIVING EXPENSES AND COBRA INSURANCE PREMIUMS…..WITHOUT THE HELP OF HER PRECIOUS MAR-MAR……

MEMORIAL SITE FOR MARK’S SITUATION: HTTP://WWW.KINTERA.ORG/SITE/ C.JUISL9MSJVE/B.4992003/K.D3A9/STORIES.HTM (CLICK ON STORIES AND YOU’LL SEE “MEMORIAL TO MARK TURNIDGE” IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE)

Benefit will be:

Sunday, September 13, 2009 Benefit to be held at:

Majestic Oaks Golf Club 701 Bunker Lake Blvd Ham Lake, MN 55304 (763)755-2140 On the Agenda: 11AM11AM-1PM Check In/Registration 1:30 PM Shot Gun Start 5:30 PM: Dinner, Silent Auction, Raffle Drawings, Entertainment, Celebration of Mark’s Life

18 Holes of Golf , Dinner, plus Prizes & Raffles!!! Your donation for golf will include greens fees, cart, and use of the driving range. A Buffet Dinner will follow. Don’t know HOW to golf??? Most of us don't so it’s a good time to learn or to show off your skills and put the rest of us to shame!!!!

Cost: (Club Rental $25 Extra, if you do not have your own)

18 Holes of Golf and Dinner…………….……$120 Dinner……………. 18 Holes of Golf only………………….………$90 only Buffet Dinner Only ……………….……….….$40 ………………. Sponsor a Hole……………..…………………..$100 Hole……………..………………….. Can’t Attend? You can still send your contribution to help Wendy Turnidge during this time. Mail contributions to: 4408 Victory Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55412 and write any checks to “Wendy Turnidge” All support, prayers and any help or donations offered are greatly appreciated!

There’s a minimum # of registrations needed for Dinner and Golfers to make this event a HUGE success. The Registration Deadline is Friday, September 4, 2009. SAVE THE DATE! Make your decision SOO-! Send in your Registration Form with payment OR your contribution (if unable to attend but want to contribute) as soon as possible!

We are looking for businesses or private sponsors, to sponsor the 18 holes of Golf (great advertising opportunity if you’re a business). We also need donations for the Silent Auction & Raffle Items. Please email Wendy with your donation ideas: [email protected]

Photos of Mark, Wendy and their life together…. Never take a moment, not a second for granted with those you love. Don’t squabble over little things and live each moment with them as if today were their last. We simply never know when we will last seem them alive and you never want things left undone or unspoken. Mark knew I loved him and I knew he loved me but there’s still more we can do and more we can say! Share the Salvation of Christ too, Mark did!

<< July 3, 1991 The day Mark “won” Wendy’s heart, in the front of grandma’s house/ Victory Park (Mark & Wendy’s Home) Then our dating years that followed and Mark’s infamous Karate>>>

May 12, 2001 Wedding Day!!! “And they said we’d never make it” A sign Mark always talked of hanging that day!!

And the surgeries for Wendy began : 8/24/07 TP/ICT & 30 days in Hospital (Internal bleeding from surgery and a 2nd surgery w/in 12 hrs of first) _____________________

Christmas 2007 “Post Pancreatectomy”

4/10/08 Celiac Artery Bypass _____________________

11/4/08 Subtotal Colectomy _____________________

Multiple Hospitalizations 2006-current _____________________

Since Mark’s Death: Easter 2008 “Post Celiac Artery Bypass” Mar-Mar was my strength, my nurse and my rock through all of my surgeries and sickness.

4/6/09 Colon Resection for hemorrhage & Several Hospitalizations, Blood Transfusions since his death.

Just months prior to his death up to Christmas Eve “fun” at Mark and Wendy’s home. Forever YOU will be missed. You always made people laugh by just being, YOU!

August 2008 “Van House” Wedding Mark and Cade (Lance, Wendy not shown)

St. Croix -at’l Park trip for Mark, Wendy and Lance

Halloween 2008: Mark is “The Joker” Don’t know what I am, Cade and Lance

Christmas Eve 2008 at Mark and Wendy’s Home This is 2 weeks to the day of Mark’s death. Our siblings were present (his brother Mike and my sis Tina with their children) my parents and his long time, good friend, Chris Arnold. << The Pictures of us???? >> -o Comment necessary :-)

-ephew Jaden getting a Mark hold!

A Turnidge Brother pose. Who’s cooler in your opinion?

The Turnidge Brothers and Brother In-laws too!

The Turnidge Siblings & presents below! His only sis Michelle!

Close up of my goof ball!

Mark’s final days on this earth, all the way to his surgery and the aftermath. But we know that as believers in Christ Jesus (John 3:16) we will see our loved ones again! Mark was not shy about sharing his faith with others, even when it didn’t make him too “popular” but he felt strongly convicted and shared his faith on the internet with people - worldwide!!! <
<<< Lance catching Mark eating Davanni’s & watching T.V. (FP Cam shot)

Mark wrote and shared an Eulogy for Monti and near the end said, “I look forward to the day I’ll see you again and hear you say ‘hey man, nice poem’.” That was Tuesday Dec. 30th, just 1 week to the day of Mark’s surgery (1-6-09). Many of Mark’s old time friends saw Mark alive, for the last time, that day.

<<< Lance also got Mark coming home and Mark looks a lot like his dad, Dave here!!

Mark just an hour before going back for surgery on 1-6-09, roughly 10AM

………..……….Pics Below………………. Mark we know where you are and we WILL see you again Mark. You are wrapped in the arms of Jesus! We miss you so much but thank God for His assurance of Life Eternal!

Mark on the ventilator and in coma. Me and Lance, Wednesday 1-7-09

I wanted to share Mark’s final moments. Mark never woke up or moved except when his arms raised after the tube was pulled during the song, ”Come to Jesus” and the words “fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, and Live” played. His heart stopped just as the song ended.

To all my precious family, friends and many, many other people I don’t even know whom Mark Turnidge’s life touched. I would like to share with you a short version of the story of “Mark and Wendy” also known as “Mar-Mar and Wen-Wen” I met Mark Turnidge in May, 1991, we were both 15 but he lacked me in age by only 4 months to the day. My birthday is June 2nd and his is October 2nd. What I recall is a very energetic teenager who had cowboy boots on and threw his legs all over the room doing karate kicks. He saw me and I saw him and he was trying to impress this “new” girl. By July 3, 1991, Mark did as he was so good at and “wore me down” and I finally decided that I would begin “dating” him (as much as teenagers can “date” with school, etc.) It began as mostly a phone dating thing and my dad picked him up for church from Mpls to Blaine and we spent Sunday’s together. The Mar-Mar and Wen-Wen story turned into a well known one. The song he chose for us was by Firehouse called “Love of a Lifetime”. Somehow this boy made an impact on me that would NEVER be erased. We dated until we graduated in 1993 and that Fall, Mark decided “if my first relationship is this good, what else is out there?”, a direct quote from him. So he went off to date and I went about my life but looking back, besides the death of Mark now, that was the WORST time of my whole life. NOT having Mark in my life and not having him “love” me seemed like he was as far away as I know he is now. But little did I know and eventually he shared and wrote poems about it, deep down he compared “all the rest” to me. I eventually got married to someone else and he had his first son Cade. So it was over…..or was it? My first marriage was not a good one. Late October 1999, I got separated then divorced in March 2000. I didn’t find out until 1/2 way through my 1st marriage, the obstacles I’d be facing in that marriage. Mark had heard via his mom Joan (always my good friend) of the struggles within my marriage, which Biblically allowed me to get divorced. Mark wrote me a lengthy letter asking me to leave that marriage and come back to him. But because his mom knew that I was ready to fight for what I believe in “Marriage”, I would be sticking it out and staying, Mark ripped up this letter and I wish I could see it now. Mark had asked me prior to this marriage, to not get married. This was just months before my Wedding and it was based on an intuition he had in his gut that HE and I belonged together. But there was already too much planned, Mark had his own duties to attend to and I had already endured the pain of our breaking up years prior, and I was committed to my choice of getting married. That was April 1996 and I went on with my plans. In my eyes, Mark had a good chunk of my heart but life goes on and things change. We met in the parking lot of the church we attended, only 4 days prior to my first wedding. We each said goodbye because this time, we knew it was good-bye forever and we could only be friends, if even that. He played our song in his yellow Firebird and we each cried. He asked me to promise him one thing, to meet him in 5 years in that same parking lot at the same time, August 12, 2001, at 5PM. I said, “I could have kids, you could be married, who knows what” and he said he didn’t care, he wanted to meet and just be able to catch up and not ever lose touch with one another, we’d ALWAYS be friends. Our love was so strong but knowing I’d be married made that a hard thing to think about so I personally thought “I have 5 years to get out of this one”. We parted, I got married and life “went on” and the Mar-Mar and Wen-Wen story ended…..or did it? When my 1st marriage failed in late 1999, my first call was to Joan whom I respectfully asked to NOT say what I knew she was thinking, as I was thinking the same thing too (you’re supposed to be with Mark). Joan went home to take Mark for a ride and by the time they reached the end of the block, she told him and he said he heard God saying to him “This is it Mark, your life is going to change and you’re going to marry Wendy”. Mark had been single for over 2 years, no dates, nothing and he told his mom constantly how much he regretted letting me go but God has a funny way of working things out in HIS time, not ours! By the way, we didn’t meet on August 21, 2001 since we were MARRIED by that time, but we did acknowledge the day! Mark and I were married May 12, 2001 and my health problems began with the TMJ surgeries, Endometriosis, Kidney stones, Gallbladder removal, etc. Kids were not in the picture for us because I had endometriosis but Lance Patrick Turnidge (Patrick being the name we decided we’d call our first child when we were “dating” in H.S.) was born on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005. Lance is Mark’s 2nd son and sure acts a lot like Mark; full of abundant energy and a joker and what Mark’s friend Chris calls “Mark’s payback that you get to raise”. :-) Lance is a bright, fun, energetic, outgoing kid and Lance is 4 years old now and Cade is 12. Mark and I had a wonderful marriage which still had it’s highs and lows, as most do. What we learned in our final year together is that marriage is what YOU make of it. I read a few books that only made me a better wife and he made some wonderful strides in his career and was employed as of his death with Ineo Technology. He loved what he did, he loved his children, he loved family and he loved just being around others and socializing. Mark was truly the life of any gathering or what they call “the life of the party”! Who needed a party when you could just hang around or talk to Mark? (Cont. on page 6…..) <<
*Benefit information enclosed. In Loving Memory of Mark David Turnidge 10-2-1975 to 1-8-2009 Wendy Turnidge 4408 Victory Avenue -orth Minneapolis, M- 55412 (612) 588-1569 Email: [email protected] ________________________________________

Are you a Mary Kay Customer who can’t attend but wants to help contribute? Receive 15% off your entire order! Call me at (612) 588-1569 or email [email protected]

Order Online and get an extra 5% off (up to 20%)! www.marykay.com/wanderson (Just mention this promo in the comments section on my website) **Thank YOU for your loyalty!**

(Continuation of Mark and Wendy story from page 5….)

I also know one thing about Mark, he loved me very much but he also entrusted me to our financial duties. I am currently not able to meet many of these obligations because as it is, Social Security does not pay a whole lot and my health is such that I cannot work my business as I used to. I have faith that God always provides but we’re putting together this benefit, to hopefully help me alleviate some financial pressures (paying off Medical debts-past and future-, $370 for Cobra/mo, anything and everything to do with owning a home and cars, etc). The support, caring, prayers and following along on my site: www.caringbridge.org/visit/wendyturnidge has been a wonderful blessing. I am blessed to have the support system I have and I want everyone to know something; my husband is in heaven because of his belief and faith in Christ as his Lord and Savior. Mark gave his life to Christ and is currently in heaven and I know I will see him again but in our life, we have our obligations and duties. At Mark’s death, each of his son’s receive Social Security benefits but there’s not a whole lot of help for the widow who has to deal with all the bills that were accumulated as a “couple” and of course, just because someone dies doesn’t mean your utilities are cut in 1/2 and bills automatically disappear. Most things go on “as if” but the widow knows differently. There are very, very hard days of realizing I am now widowed and Mark is forever gone from this earth. This benefit is being held to hopefully pay off debts, allow myself to get my head above water and to honor Mark because he would not want for me to have any financial worries while trying to deal with my sickness. If there is great success with this benefit, I would like to do something that I know Mark would want for us, to HAVE FUN! I would like to have it successful enough to where I may be able to take his boys to Walt Disney World or at least someplace “fun”. When I asked Mark one time before my November surgery, “what should I do if you ever die”, his response was “Be happy”. Mark and I had many, many talks about the “what ifs” of life and his beliefs of Heaven, death, etc. We talked about everything. I am so glad that I had those talks with him because it allows me to have direction in what I should do ‘next’. Thank you again for reading this and again, please log into my caringbridge website to see the whole story, even some poetry and letters written to me by my beloved Mar-Mar. I hope you come to the benefit and if you can think of a business who would sponsor a hole, or know of any business that would contribute things for the Silent Auction and Raffles, please contact me. ~ Always and forever known as, and happy to be called, Wen-Wen Turnidge