My Genealogy Hound

DAVID TURNER. Many of the most substantial residents of Greene County are sons and daughters of its earliest pioneers and still maintain their residence at the old homestead built up from the wilderness by their honored sires. Among these may be numbered Mr. Turner and his estimable wife who are located at a finely developed farm, once the property of Mrs. Turner’s father and located eight miles southeast of the city of Xenia. This embraces one hundred and thirteen acres of land, embellished with good buildings and supplied with all the machinery required for the successful prosecution of agriculture. The fertile fields yield the richest products of the Buckeye State. The farm lies on Caesar’s Creek, in the northern part of the township of that name and, it is hardly necessary to state, possesses more than a moneyed value to the present proprietor and his wife.

Mr. Turner was born in this township February 20, 1843. His father, Jonah Turner, likewise a native of the same township, was born in 1807, and his mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary Beason, was born in 1804 in the same township. The parents died in November, 1865, within eleven days of each other. Their family consisted of eleven children, eight of whom were reared to mature years. Mercer B. died in Elk County, Kan.; Henry N. is in Xenia; Absalom served in an Illinois regiment during the late Civil War and is now a resident of Edgar County, that State; Joseph served in the One Hundred and Twenty-third Illinois Infantry, and is now a resident of Champaign County, near Sidell; Colby, also a Union soldier, enlisting in an Illinois regiment, met his death at the battle of Ft. Donelson; David, our subject, was the next in order of birth; Sally A., married Samuel Minge, and is now a widow, living in Franklin, Warren County, this State; Jonah is a resident of Edgar County, Ill.

Jonah Turner maintained his residence on Caesar’s Creek for the long period of fifty years and then removed to Coles County, Ill., where his death took place. He was a Baptist in religion, was first a Whig, politically, then a Republican and a strong Union man during the war. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Joseph Turner, a native of North Carolina, who married Miss Dinah Small. They settled on Caesar’s Creek, five miles southeast of Xenia, where Grandfather Turner entered one hundred acres of land from the Government, from which he built up a good homestead and where he spent the remainder of his days; he passed away about 1849. His wife survived him a number of years, her death taking place a short time prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Grandfather Turner in religious belief was a Quaker. To him and his good wife there were born on the old farm four sons and five daughters. Their eldest son, Robert, was born before they settled there and is still living in Clarksville, Clinton County, Ohio, being now ninety-four years old.

Grandfather Turner was the son of John Turner, an Englishman who was born near the city of Liverpool and who came to America as a Captain in the British Army. When peace was declared he settled in North Carolina where he probably spent the remainder of his days. On the maternal side of the house the grandparents of our subject were Mercer and Katie (Kains) Beason. They came from the vicinity of Uniontown, Pa. Grandfather Beason was originally from Kentucky and a Ranger, participating in the Indian War during 1790. He came to Ohio between 1800 and 1803 and settled on Caesar’s Creek, where he and his estimable wife spent the remainder of their lives, living to be quite aged. They had two sons, Henry and John, and several daughters.

Mr. Turner remained on the farm in his native county until twelve years old, then went to Illinois and lived with his parents eleven years. In February, 1866, he returned to Ohio and until the following year was a resident of Warren County. After his marriage in the fall of 1871, he removed to LaFayette County, Mo., where he spent a year, then returned to his native haunts. In 1881, he purchased a farm in Grant County, Wis., upon which he lived two years. Once more he came back to the home of his childhood and took up his abode on the homestead which he now owns and occupies.

The marriage of David Turner with Miss Sarah J. Middleton was celebrated at the bride’s home October 2, 1870. Mrs. Turner was born July 11, 1842, at the farm where she now lives, and is the daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Hartsook) Middleton, who were natives respectively of Virginia and Maryland. Mr. Middleton was born in Berkeley County, May 7, 1802, while his wife, Sarah, was born near Hagerstown, January 6, 1801. They emigrated to this county in 1827 and located on the land comprising the present homestead of Mr. Turner, and which Mr. Middleton cleared from the forest and brought to a good state of cultivation. He was a man prominent in his community and in politics a stanch Democrat. He served as Township Treasurer and was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. To him and his good wife there was born a family of six children, viz.: Elizabeth A., William H., a resident of Wisconsin; Nathan J., of Kansas City; Elijah B., of Nevada City, Mo.; Lewis, Sarah J., Mrs. Turner.

The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Turner was Bethuel Middleton, who spent his last years in Ohio. The five children born to our subject and his estimable wife were named respectively, Sylvia M., Sally E., who died at the age of three years, Dora F., Colby M., and Nellie J. Mr. and Mrs. Turner are prominently connected with the Methodist Protestant Church.