Harold Turney Friess of Sonora was born in San Angelo at the Clinic Hospital, the firstborn son of Harold and Pauline Friess, on March 4, 1937. He passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of January 6, 2025 in San Angelo.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and one brother Joe Thomas Friess.
He is survived by a brother, John Paul Friess of Sonora, his children Paula Ann Friess of Dublin, Texas and Clay Friess of Sonora, his grand children Owen Luke Friess and Molly Joe Friess of Sonora, and cousins Elizabeth Schenkel of Sonora and Paul Emery Turney of Hillsboro, Texas.
Turney grew up on the Friess Ranch 15 miles southeast of Sonora where he learned to ranch and to fix anything that was broken. He graduated from Sonora High School in 1955 and attended Texas Technological College in Lubbock, where he earned a degree in Range Management.
While at Tech he married Rex Ann Baker of Sonora on August 9, 1958. Rex Ann preceded him in death on March 16, 2024.
Turney worked for a short time at Ranger Wool & Mohair in Ranger, Texas before being called by his grandmother, Ethel Turney, to operate her ranch in Edwards County following the death of her husband, Paul, in 1959.
Turney spent most of his life on this ranch raising cattle, sheep and goats. In 1980 he formed a partnership with his brothers to drill for shallow oil. He rebuilt an old Ft. Worth Spudder “D” cable tool drilling rig to successfully drill and produce oil on his land.
In 1987 Turney married Irene Arredondo and moved to Sonora. Irene passed away on May 17, 2018.
Turney was a member of Dee Ora Masonic Lodge and The First United Methodist Church of Sonora. Graveside services will be conducted by Rev. Mark Brechin on Friday, January 10, 2025 at 1:00 pm. at the Sonora Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Love Funeral Home Thursday, January 9 from 9:00a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
