John A. Turner, who owns one of the attractive and model farms of
Scottville township, Macoupin county, was born in Athensville township,
Greene county, Illinois, on the 16th of May, 1859. His parents were
Tillman C. and Jane (Rhodes) Turner, the father a native of Cumberland
county, Kentucky, and the mother of Greene county, Illinois, her birth
having occurred in the vicinity of Carrollton. Agricultural pursuits
always engaged the attention of Mr. Turner, who in 1849 came from his
native state to Illinois. He first located on a farm near Whitehall,
Greene county, and after residing there for several years he removed to
Athensville township. There he met the lady, who subsequently became his
wife and the mother of four children, of whom the son John A. was 1 the
third. Mr. Turner continued to cultivate his farm to within three years
of his death, which occurred on the 12th of May, 1907, in Scottville,
Macoupin county. The mother of our subject died in 1864 and the
following year the father married Martha M. Van Bebber, by whom he had
five children, four of whom are still living.
His boyhood and
youth John A. Turner spent upon the farm where he was born, pursuing his
education in the common schools until he was graduated from the high
school at Greenfield in 1878. For two years thereafter he engaged in
teaching, but feeling that he did not care to make of this profession a
life vocation, he returned to the old homestead, and for three years
devoted his attention to farming. At the expiration of that period he
came to Scottville and engaged in the furniture business and
undertaking, continuing to be identified with this for sixteen years. In
1902 he withdrew from commercial activities and located upon the farm
where he is now residing. He has eighty acres of fertile and highly
cultivated land, upon which he has wrought extensive improvements,
having erected a fine, modern residence, arranged the grounds
attractively and made many minor changes, so that it is now one of the
valuable properties of the vicinity.
Mr. Turner was married
December 29, 1880, to Miss Virginia A. Wood, a daughter of Martin and
Emily J. (Spencer) Wood. Her father was a native of Greene county,
Illinois, and there he was reared and married to Miss Spencer, a native
of Kentucky. He made farming his life occupation and continued to reside
in Greene county until his death in 1864. His widow now makes her home
with Mrs. Turner. Of the four children born to our subject and his wife
two are now deceased. Of those living Martin W. is married and resides
upon his father-in-law’s farm. The daughter, Ora Lee, the youngest
member of the family, is unmarried and living at home. They are both
graduates of the Scottville high school.
Fraternally Mr. Turner
is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a member of Scottville
Lodge, No. 426, A. F. & A. M.; Scottville Camp, No. 506, of the Modern
Woodmen of America; and the Court of Honor; while both he and Mrs.
Turner belong to the Order of the Eastern Star of Scottville. His
political support Mr. Turner gives to the democratic party, and he has
served as justice of the peace, school director and president of the
town council of Scottville, while for sixteen years he has been a
township supervisor and he was township treasurer for a period of twelve
years. He has always been a public-spirited man, taking an active
interest in all matters of vital importance in the community where he
resided, most efficiently discharging the responsibilities of the
various offices he has held.
Extracted 17 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 601-602.
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