Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 610–611; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Timothy W. Turner, a veteran of the late war, who is busily and
profitably carrying on agriculture in Deerfield Township, is one of its
most worthy citizens and is held in high estimation by all about
him. His father, Thomas Turner, was born in North Carolina in
1815. He married Mary Johnson, who was born in Virginia in
1816. They are both now deceased, the father dying in 1883 and
the mother in 1851.
Our subject is a native of Kentucky and was born in Breathitt
County, June 13, 1836, the second son in a family of nine
children. He remained an inmate of the parental home until he was
twenty-one one years old, gleaning his education in the district
schools of his native county. When he attained his majority he
began his career as a farmer, and conducted his agricultural operations
in his native State until 1864. In that year he came to Fulton
County, Ill., and has ever since been a respected citizen of this part
of the State. He rented a farm in Bernadotte Township until 1868
and after that resided on a farm in Cass Township until 1878, when he
bought eighty acres of land on section 35, Deerfield Township, where he
has since made his home. He has lately added forty acres to this
property and is doing a fine business as a general farmer. He
pays much attention to stock raising, in which branch he is quite
successful and he has fifty hogs, fourteen cattle and eight
horses. Sixty acres of his land are under cultivation and yield
him fine crops. He has here a comfortable residence and all the
other necessary farm buildings and has his farm well equipped in the
way of good machinery. He recently bought a forty-acre farm in
Cass Township for his son, giving him a clear deed of the same and thus
enabling the young man to start out well.
Our subject did good service in the Union army during the late
war. In 1865 he enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and
Forty-seventh Illinois Infantry and fought in the following
battles: Fullman’s Ferry and Spring Place and was in several
other skirmishes and engagements with the enemy. At one time he
came very near death, a ball from a rebel rifle passing through his
clothes. He was discharged February 7, 1866, and returned home
with a good record as a patriotic soldier.
Mr. Turner has been twice married, June 22, 1858, was the date
of his wedding with Elizabeth J., daughter of J. J. and Rebecca
Dancy. Three children were born to them – John, Irene and George
L. The mother of these children departed this life November 16,
1863, and now lies in Bartley Cemetery in Bernadotte Township.
Our subject was a second time married November 12, 1868, Rachael,
daughter of Ogden and Mary (Lappeer) Gray, then becoming his
wife. She was born in Morgan County, Ohio, August 16, 1830.
Her parents were natives of the State of New York. The one child
born to our subject and his wife, Wilborn, died at the age of two years.
Mr. Turner stands well with his fellow-citizens, as he is a man
of a frank, generous nature, and is obliging and just in all his
dealings with his neighbors. He is a stalwart among the
Democrats, though he does not concern himself much with political
affairs. He was Road Commissioner for three years and Pathmaster
in Cass Township four years. He and his wife are true Christian
people, and are among the prominent members of the Protestant Methodist
Church, of which he is Steward and Trustee. While he was in
Kentucky Mr. Turner served as Constable four years.
