TURNER, Robert

TURNER, GRAHAM, LANHORN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/18/2014 at 01:01:02

Biography ~ Robert Turner

"Biographical and Historical Record of
Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa"
(Lewis Publishing Company (1887)) p. 638

ROBERT TURNER, one of Fayette Township's enterprising agriculturists, resides on section 21. He was born in Berkley County, Virginia, December 2, 1835, in the same State in which his parents, Robert and Nancy Turner, were born, married and died. His mother died when he was an infant, and his father in 1849. In his twentieth year he left his native State, and spent a short time roving, visiting Texas in his travels, and finally settled down in Des Moines County, Iowa, where he lived until 1865, in the meantime however, serving his country three years as a brave and gallant soldier.

In 1865 he bought the property where he now lives, at that time wild prairie, and in 1869 began to improve it, first making he residence on it and in the spring of 1871. He has now one of the most attractive homes in Fayette Township, his residence, built in 1885, being a model of comfort and convenience, and surrounded it with shade trees and shrubbery, with an orchard but a short distance from the house. His home farm contains 160 acres, all under cultivation, and in addition to this he owns a farm of 160 acres on section 20.

Mr. Turner was married January 7, 1871, to Dora, daughter of Theodore Graham. She died June 7, 1883. They had a family of four children - Inez A., Gilbert E., Lydia Beatrice and Robert Clyde. Their youngest child died at the age of nineteen months. June 4, 1884, Mr. Turner married Mrs. Helen B. Lanhorn.

Mr. Turner enlisted in the fall of 1862, in Company E, Twenty-fifth Iowa Infantry, and received his baptism of fire at Chickasaw Bluff. He was with General Sherman at Vicksburg in December, 1862; at Arkansas Post in 1863; was with General Hooker at Lookout Mountain, in the "battle of the clouds;" was in the campaign against Johnston's army, which culminated in the capture of Atlanta; in the battles of Resaca and Kenesaw Mountain; and in line at the battle of July 22-28, at Jonesboro, where his corps commander, General McPherson, was killed. He followed the union flag and Sherman to the sea, and up through the Carolinas to Washington, where he was in line at the grand review of Sherman's army, in June, 1863, and was discharged the same month, as Sergeant. He participated in all the battles and skirmishes of his regiment, never shirking duty, but always proving himself a brave and intrepid soldier. In politics he is a Republican.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2014

*************************
History of Decatur County Iowa and Its People
Illustrated, Volume II.
Prof. J. M. Howell and Heman C. Smith
Supervising Editors
The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 24. Chicago. 1915

Robert Turner

Robert Turner, who was for many years actively engaged in farming, has lived at Lamoni since 1901, and is now giving some attention to the real-estate business. He was born on the 2d of December, 1835, in Berkeley county, Virginia, now West Virginia, of the marriage of Robert and Nancy (Jackson) Turner, the former a farmer, who was also interested in two saw and grist mills. Both parents died when our subject, their only child, was still quite young.

Robert Turner of this review attended school in his native state until the winter of 1854-55 and then with another young man he started for Texas and went as far as Marshall, that state. He then returned eastward, going by way of New Orleans and thence by goat to Burlington, Iowa, where he continued his education. After completing his studies he worked at different occupations until the 11th of August, 1862, when he enlisted in Company E, Twenty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the Fifteenth army Corps and was with Sherman in practically all of the battles in which he was engaged. Mr. Turner served for near three years, participating in the grand Review at Washington. He was mustered out on the 6th of June, 1865, at Washington, D. C., and returning to Davenport, Iowa, he received his pay. He then traveled through a number of counties in Iowa, including Decatur, and also several counties in Missouri, making the trip on horseback, studying carefully the conditions and the natural advantages offered by each district. He decided to locate in Fayette township, Decatur county, and went to Fort Madison, Iowa, where he remained until the following fall. He then established his home in Decatur county, arriving here on the 20th of October, 1866. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 21, Fayette township, which was for many years his home. For two terms he taught school at Davis City and also followed that profession in Fayette township and in Eden township, but not long after his marriage he began to concentrate his activities upon his farm, which he had improved in the intervening years. Later he bought twenty acres of timber land in Missouri and secured rails for fences and lumber for buildings from his own timber. As time passed he brought his farm to a high state of cultivation and made many valuable improvements, developing one of the best farms in his township. He continued to reside there, with the exception of sixteen months when he engaged in the mercantile business in Lamoni, until 1901. He then left the farm and took up his residence in Lamoni, where he owns a fine home. He engages in the real-estate business to some extent, but is enjoying a large measure of leisure, as he has accumulated ore than a competence. A number of years ago he bought the block where the school is now located.

On the 7th of January, 1871, Mr. Turner married Miss Dora A. Graham, who was then eighteen years of age and who was a sister of Mrs. J. R. Smith, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Turner passed away on the 7th of June, 1883, on the home farm, leaving four children, as follows: Inez A., who was born on the 9th of June, 1872, married Clifford B. Anderson, of Lamoni, and they have a daughter, Tuloir. Gilbert Edgar, who birth occurred on the 2d of January, 1874, is cashier at the bank at Kellerton. He married Jennie Hickman, by whom he has a daughter, Arline. Lydia Beatrice, born March 30, 1877, is the wife of Frank J. Horton, of Goodland, Sherman county, Kansas, and they have three children, Dortha, Forrest and Helen B. Robert Clyde was born May 31 1883, and died January 18, 1885. On the 4th of June, 1884, Mr. Turner married Mrs. Helen B. Lawhorn, who by her first union had two sons: N. W. Lawhorn, now a resident of San Antonio, Texas; and Osa Lawhorn, who died several years ago, leaving three children, all of whom are living.

Mr. Turner cast his first vote for Dodge, who was candidate for governor on the democratic ticket, but as a rule has supported the republican party at the polls. He served a term as mayor of Lamoni and since 1905 has been justice of the peace, winning much commendation by his fairness and impartiality. He belongs to John R. Andrews Post, G. A. R., in which he has filled all of the chairs and in which he is now serving as adjutant and quartermaster. While he has never belonged to any church, he is in sympathy with all movements hat are characterized by moral endeavor, and his own life has been fashioned after high standards of conduct. Although he is past seventy-nine years of age, he has excellent health and is quite and active factor in the work of the world and he attributes his health and energy to the fact that he has obeyed the laws of nature, has observed regular hours and has abstained from the use of tobacco in any form and from the use of liquor except as a medicine. He has worked hard and has also given much thought to the planning of his labor so as to secure the greatest efficiency, and the success which he has achieved is richly deserved. Since 1866 he has resided in Decatur county and in the intervening years has taken part in the transformation of the county from a district that yet bore many signs of pioneer life to a region with all of the comforts and conveniences of an advanced civilization.

NOTE: Robert died on January 18, 1936. Theodora A. "Dora" (Graham) Turner was born in 1845, and died on June 7, 1883. Robert and Dora were interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Iowa. Helen B. Lawhorn, the widow of Reuben J. Lawhorn, was born in 1848, and died in 1932 with interment made at Leon Cemetery, Leon, Iowa.

Transcription for IAGenWeb ~ Decatur County
Note by Sharon R. Becker