Maydell "Dell" Elaine Higley

Maydell (Dell) Elaine Turner (Higley)’s life-journey began August 22, 1936. Born to Francis and George Turner, she was the 9th of Francis’ 11 children. Dell grew up in Pasadena, California. She moved to Duarte, California when she was 15 to live with her older sister Georgia and her husband Floyd Sturtevant because their mother had to return to work. Francis worked as a housekeeper, but during WWII was a “Rosie Riveter.”

Dell attended Monrovia High School. While in high school she worked as a clerk at Thrifty Coffee Shop in Pasadena. (Thrifty became well-known for its ice cream which, in that day, sold for 5 cents a scoop). George Higley was a frequenter of this Thrifty store, and that is how he and Dell met. Just one day before her 17th birthday, on August 21, 1952, Dell married George in Kingman, Arizona. When they first got married, they lived in George’s house in Covina, California for 2 years until they were able to move into their brand new house on 1441 J Street in Ontario, California. George was a loving husband, a hard worker, and a wonderful provider for his family.

George and Dell had 4 sons in 4 years: Jeff, Brad, Steve, and Greg from 1954-1957. They had a happy home raising their sons on J St., spending quality family time in their trailer and on their boat at Lake Mead in Nevada on the weekends. They enjoyed frequently hosting friends and family at their home for late-night card games and potlucks. In Dell’s free time (usually while watching TV in the evenings), she learned various craft forms including knitting, crocheting, and quilting. She even dabbled a little in rug hooking in those early days, but didn’t take it up seriously until much later. Dell loved to make homemade presents for her family and friends over buying gifts, and she loved to decorate her home with beautiful things, often things that she made or painted. Dell also had a soft spot for animals, talking about them for years even after they were long gone, including her dog Petunia, her black lab Stormy, and her fluffy garden kitty Muffin. Her last pet, a cat named Buttons, was a loving companion and help late in Dell’s life.

In addition to raising 4 sons and homemaking, Dell worked full time at Bank of America in Ontario, California and later for First National Bank. George worked as a postal clerk for the post office also in Ontario. In 1974, while their youngest, Greg, was finishing up his senior year in high school and preparing to serve in the armed forces, George and Dell moved from their “starter” home to a more upscale home in Upland which had a huge backyard with orange trees. Ten years later, however, they would leave it all behind for the lure of Northern California.

In 1984, Dell was traveling with Georgia and Floyd. Georgia showed Dell the town of Meadow Vista (a small town past Auburn) and Dell fell in love with it. She called George and told him they were going to move there and shortly thereafter they indeed moved from their Southern California home in Upland to a rental near Meadow Vista while their son Brad was building a new home for them on a 3-acre parcel of land. After that was completed, they moved in and lived there together for 12 years until Easter Sunday in 1996, when George passed away from complications following heart surgery. While living in Meadow Vista, Dell worked part-time for Placer Savings Bank and she also taught quilting at a local adult education school in Auburn.

In 2003, Dell moved from Meadow Vista to Auburn to be closer to family, and then, in 2020, she moved to Elk Grove to be closer to her son Greg. In her latter years, Dell was recognized for her eye in décor and her talent in crafting. In 2018, her home was featured in Auburn’s home and garden tour, and in 2022, one of her modern-styled rugs entitled “Her Constant Companion” was published in Celebration of Hand-Hooked Rugs 32, a rug-hooking magazine. Most recently, Dell was awarded first and second place for two rugs that her supportive friends helped her to enter at the 2025 California State Fair. Dell also sought to use her talents to benefit not only her family and friends, but her community at large by making numerous quilts for donation to the local children’s hospital. She even served as a bell-ringer one Christmas season for the Salvation Army, an organization that was a help to her when she was a child. Dell also used her home as a safe haven and place of healing for various family members over the years who needed a place to stay in hard times. Finally, as a woman who loved cooking and loved good food, Dell enjoyed sharing food with anyone and everyone, but especially with a friend, neighbor, or even a stranger in need. Dell was loved and is survived by her many dear friends and family, especially her 2 closest sons Greg and Steve, and her granddaughters Michelle, Nicole, and Danielle, and her great-grandchildren Bradford and Sean (born to Michelle and Carl Olsen) and Disko and March (born to Nicole Higley and Christopher Lucas). Dell completed her life’s journey on July 22, 2025, just one month shy of her 89th birthday. Dell’s long-time hope was to one day see her loving husband George again. Some of her last words were: “I have lived a wonderful, happy, long life. I am ready to go home.”