George Henry Turner (Biography)

[genealogynut]

Taken from Illustriana Kansas, (printed in 1933) page 1169

GEORGE HENRY TURNER, lumber and hardware merchant, was born at Howard, Kansas, January 26, 1877.  He is the son of Joseph H. and Nancy Elizabeth (DeWitt) Turner, the former a native of McConnellsville, Ohio, born May 23, 1848.  He was a pioneer Kansan and long a banker at Moline.  His death occurred at Kirksvile, Missouri, May 24, 1900.  His ancestry was English.  Nancy Elizabeth DeWitt was born in Kentucky on August 31, 1855, and was an early day Kansas school teacher of Scotch descent.

George Henry Turner attended the grade and high school at Howard, Kansas, and was graduated with the class of 1891.  He was active in high school debate.  From the age of 17 until the age of 21 he worked in his father's bank and for the past 30 years has been engaged in the lumber and hardware business, for himself at Moline and Elk Falls, Kansas.  A Republican, he has been chairman of the Republican  county central committee for many years and has been chairman of the third district.  He is president of the Turner Feed Lumber & Supply Company.

On June 4, 1901, he was united in marriage to Grace Edith Martin at Moline.  Mrs. Turner was born at Valparaiso, Indiana, December 3, 1879, of Scotch and Irish extraction.  Two children were born to them, Marion on April 6, 1903, who died December 30, 1904; and Laurence M. born September 26, 1907.

For more than 30 years, Mr. Turner has been a Sunday school teacher in the Methodist church and at the present time is chairman of the  official board.  He is a former president of the Moline Chamber of Commerce and for a number of years was a member of the Moline school board.

Residence:  Moline

[Roma Jean Turner]

   Wow!  This is the brother of my grandfather, John W. Turner.  I have never seen this before.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I was just thinking that I need to find out when his brother's died and order those papers to find the obit's.  This is awesome!
Laurence Turner's daughter Marion lives in Bloomsburg, PA and I do keep in touch with her.  This is the connection that Bev Leffingwell and I have.  She is related to Marion on the mother's side and I am related to Marion on her father's side.  Marion and I are the only two Turner's left that we know of.

[genealogynut]

Thought you'd get a "buzz" out of that!    Didn't you know that I'm good at what I do?

[Roma Jean Turner]

This is what you get for being so good at what you do!  I have another one:

The other brother was Herbert E. Turner.  He was married to Susan Webb, the daughter of Frank Webb who is mentioned in another post, regarding his large estate.  They had three children: Joseph Turner, Ramona Turner and Ruth Turner Blizzard. They lived in an old red brick house on a corner in Howard, don't know the address. I'm sure when the house was new that it was a very fine house. Someone said the old house was torn down for a parking lot.  I remember visiting Aunt Susie as a small child at that house.

  Sometime after Herbert died, I believe she married Ed Phrem? Something like that.  I would love to know if there are any people left from this line.  I was told that Ramona Turner died in the nursing home in Howard, maybe in the 1980's. Not sure.  Anyway, Marion and I could still have some third or fourth cousins out there somewhere.  Thanks!

[Janet Harrington]

Susie Phrem.  I remember that name.  I think the old house was south of Poplar Pizza on south Wabash, but on the east side of the street.  Does that ring a bell to you, Teresa?  I remember a two story brick home there that was falling down and that Susie Phrem was in the nursing home.  Someone else think about it and see if you agree with me.  This brick home would have been on the northeast corner of Wabash and Jefferson.  The lot where it was is now a yard for Joe Bozerrelli and his wife, Caroline.  Joe and Caroline are the in-laws to Brian Miller who owns the Poplar Pizza.

[ddurbin]

Susie was married second to Ed Pfrehm.  She was a 1st cousin of my grandfather Charlie Durbin.  She was a daughter of J. J. Webb, Frank Webb's brother.  Frank didn't have any children.  I can give more details on the entire Webb clan if anyone is that interested. Let me know.

[genealogynut]

Yes, Dan, please post the information on the Webb clan.  I am sure there is some researcher out there that would be very pleased to see it.  Thanx!

[Roma Jean Turner]

I would be interested in knowing more about the Webb's.  I know my mother thought the world of Aunt Susie and I remember her always being glad to see us and being very attentive to me.  I don't remember ever being aware of her death or attending any funeral, although we might have.  When I came through Howard in April I tried to think where the house was, but I was simply to young to remember.  I have a picture of the Turner Family standing in front of that house, that was probably taken sometime in the 1930's.  If I can ever figure out this picture thing, I'll post it.

[ddurbin]

I've posted Susie WebbTurner Pfrehm's obit in the obit section.  She died in 1983 at the age of 102.

[Janet Harrington]

Roma,  That would be great if you could post that picture because I think I could tell you if that was the house or not.  If I can't figure it out, I can find one of the older people who would remember.  Louie Wiseman, Bob Greenwood, several of the people I see at coffee on Saturdays would surely remember where she lived.  I'll do my best to find out on Saturday.