After retiring to Lake of the Woods in 1992, Turpin noticed the tall grasses along the country roads around the lake were creating a problem. He was especially concerned with the corners of the roads leading to Plymouth-Goshen Trail.
“You had to get your nose out in the road to look both ways and see,” he said. “And that traffic really moves on Plymouth-Goshen. It was a safety factor.”
So, one day, he brought his push mower out to the road and took care of trimming the tall grass himself. He also went to five other intersections around the lake and mowed the grass there.
    And now, a dozen or so years later, he is still at it.
    “Now the weeds are down and you can see better,” he said.
    His hard work is appreciated by lake area residents like Gordon Guntner.
“He mows all summer long,” Guntner said. “He’s done it for years. His motto is ‘think positive.’”
Turpin appreciates positive feedback.
“A lot of people thank me for it,” he said. “A lot of people stop and give me gas money.”
This week, the 79-year-old is heading to Ft. Myers, Fla. for the winter. But in the spring he plans to return to his Lake of the Woods home and to his volunteer mowing duty.
“I’m one of those guys who can’t sit. I’ve got to do something,” he said. “This keeps me out of trouble.”