Fred W. Thurman

Fred W. Thurman, 87, entered into rest at his daughter’s home in Prospect, surrounded by family, on April 11, 2016, following a courageous battle with lung cancer.

The son of Buford and Elise (Dodson) Thurman, he was born March 2, 1929, in Gallatin, Tenn. He graduated from Franklin-Simpson High School in 1948, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1951 and served in the Army Reserve until 1956. He was married to Betty Ann Warden in 1954; together they built a home on the Warden family farm in Warren County.

Thurman was a self-employed dairy farmer through the late 1970s. Following a short career in outside sales, he was employed by the Bowling Green City Schools as a bus driver. He became a state-certified driving instructor and, at the time of his retirement, was bus maintenance coordinator. His favorite role in life by far was that of husband, father and grandfather.

Thurman is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Betty Ann; son Frederick Anthony Thurman (Ted Barr) of Cherry Hill, N.J.; daughter Dr. Lucinda Thurman Wright (David) and grandchildren Michael and Sarah Wright of Prospect; and cousins Lida Conkle of Pembroke, Wilda Dodson of Gallatin, Jim Huggins of Bowling Green and Pat Keller of Louisville.

Funeral is at 10 a.m. Friday at State Street United Methodist Church in Bowling Green, with burial in Fairview Cemetery. Visitation is from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at J.C. Kirby & Son, Lovers Lane chapel, and begins at 9 a.m. Friday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Guild of Organists Endowment Fund, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260, New York, NY 10115, agohq.org, or Kosair Children’s Hospital Heart Center, 234 E. Gray St., Suite 450, Louisville, KY 40202, kosairchildrenshospital.com.