Turner, William F. and Tinnie

Lea County Families and Histories,"Then and Now" Vol II, 1984

Submitted by: Marshall Truman Turner

     Wiiliam F. and Tinnie Turner moved to Eunice in 1908 from Gray County, Texas. They homesteaded about 2 and one half miles north of Eunice and he drilled water wells for ranchers. The early homesteaders and ranchers enjoyed parties and dances after working so hard and the Turners encouraged their to play musical instruments for dances. The youngest son, Kenneth, still lives at Monument and still plays occasionally for dances or old timer get togethers.

     The eldest son, William Hester, "Heck" Turner, homesteaded on land of his own in 1913, northwest of Eunice. He married Hazel Marshall in 1915 and since there was no Lea County at that time, he had to ride by horseback to Carlsbad, New Mexico, (County seat of Eddy County) to get the marriage license. Heck hung on the his homestead in Eunice but frequently had to go elsewhere to find work. For awhile he rode as a cowboy on the San Simon Ranch. He even went to Texas a few seasons to pick cotton. In 1919 he moved his wife and one son to Midland, Texas where he worked for the Cordell Automotive Shop. While working there he built a machine for his father-in-law, Bud Marshall, to use in his mattress factory. Heck and Hazel's other two brothers, W. H. Jr., and Elliott, we born while they were living in Midland.

     Heck later worked in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The Carlsbad Caverns were being explored and men were needed, so Heck worked in the Caverns exploring, marking trails, and hauling out rock to make passageways bigger. At one time while in Carlsbad, Heck earned money by driving passengers to El Paso. He had a car, and it was a long, tedious drive to El Paso by dirt road.

     Heck and Hazel owned a dairy from 1937 to 1944 and sold milk to people living in Eunice. Heck served on the Eunice school board from 1937 to 1939. He also served a term as Lea County Commissioner. After the dairy he ranched until his death in 1949.