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Mary Frances (White) Turner was born in 1844 in Maryland, the daughter of Perry G. and Charlotte (McClatchey) White. 

The photograph at left shows Mary (at right) with her daughters Sarah "Elizabeth" Smalley (left) and Sophia Inks (center) and a not-yet-identified boy.

Her husband -- seen at right -- was a veteran of the Civil War. Their descendants hold an annual reunion every year in Fayette County, PA.

As a young girl, Mary Frances and her parents moved to Wharton Twp., Fayette County, where her father was a construction contractor on the National Turnpike. Mary was but a young girl when her mother died, and her father remarried Mariah Minerd.

Mary Frances married George Washington Turner (1840-1923), the son of John and Eliza Grace Turner. They had 10 children -- Sarah "Elizabeth" Turner, Sophia Inks, John Perry Turner, Ulysses S. "Grant" Turner, Charles S. Turner, Homer W. Turner, Lydia Heltebran, Charlotte "Lottie" B. McMillan and Frank George Turner.

A Uniontown newspaper once said Mary Frances "was a faithful wife and a kind christian mother."

During the Civil War, George enlisted in the Army on Aug. 20, 1862. He was assigned to Company E of the 16th PA Cavalry. In late April 1863, while at Warrington, VA, and suffering from some sort of physical disability, George was sent to a general hospital in Alexandria, VA, where he remained for some time. While hospitalized, he missed his regiment's participation in the Battle of Gettysburg. In mid-March 1864, apparently his health not improving, George was transferred to the Invalid Corps.

After the war, George returned home. Said the Uniontown (PA) Daily News Standard, the Turners resided "six miles from Ohiopyle Falls." A rare old postcard of the world-famous falls is seen here, set against the backdrop of the "Little Alps of America." 

A wave of measles swept through the mountain in the spring of 1890, severely infecting the Turner household. The April 11 edition of the Connellsville Courier reported: "George W. Turner's family is seriously afflicted, one child has become deaf and it is thought that another one will lose its eyesight from the effects of the disease."

George drew a pension from the federal government as compensation for his wartime disabilities. The details are not known, but he would have received a monthly check which would have provided a steady stream of income to offset the seasonal nature of farming life.

When the federal census was taken in 1900, the Turners were listed as living on the outskirts of Ohiopyle. Also residing in the home that year were daughter Charlotte and son Frank, with son Charles residing several doors away.

Mary Frances passed away at age 61 at home on Sept. 23, 1904. She was laid to rest at Bryner Ridge Cemetery, also known as Middle Ridge Cemetery, near Ohiopyle. The Daily News Standard carried her obituary, naming her father and living siblings.

George outlived Mary Frances by nearly two decades. 

At the age of 68, in October 1908, George married a second time to his former daughter in law, Flora (Hull) Turner (1877-1953), the ex-wife of George S. Turner. George W. and Flora were nearly four decades apart in age -- he 68, and she 21. The matter caused such a controversy that it generated large headlines in the Connellsville Courier, reading: "Woman Becomes Stepmother of Her Divorced Husband." The opening paragraph read: 

If Mrs. Flora Turner had any ill will against her husband who was divorced from her three years ago because of desertion, she has taken a long step towards getting even. Today she is her former husband's stepmother. Likewise is George W. Turner, an aged resident of Ohiopyle, now the husband of his former daughter in law.

They were together when the federal census was enumerated in 1910. They went on to have four more children -- Mary Turner, William Turner, Robert M. Turner and one other who has not yet been identified. 

George was one of nearly 200 Civil War veterans to attend the annual reunion of the Fayette County Veterans Association in August 1919, held in Uniontown. It "lacked nothing in comparison with previous ones," reported the Daily Courier. "The dinner, according to Commander W.P. Clark of Kurtz post, was 'the best we ever had' at a reunion. The dinner was served by the Ladies' Circle of Uniontown... Free transportation was provided the veterans to and from the county seat by the West Penn Railways company. Among the other veterans attending was Mary Frances' step-first cousin Isaac F. Minerd of Dunbar, Fayette County.

At the age of 83, George died on April 21, 1923, at age 83. He was laid to rest beside Mary Frances at Bryner Ridge Cemetery, also known as "Middle Ridge Cemetery." His newspaper obituary, published April 26, 1923, discreetly said George was "known as 'Daddy Turner', in his 80th year, died Saturday at his home near town from old age... He is survived by his wife and a number of children."

Flora began receiving her late husband's Civil War pension payments to support her and their four young children. The Nov. 22, 1924 issue of the Daily Courier said she would receive approximately $600 in back pay, plus $30 per month and $6 per month for each child. 

Flora outlived her husband by 30 years. She cohabitated with her stepson Homer Turner, who was four years older than she. When the federal census was taken in 1930, Flora and Homer are in the same residence, with Flora marked as "Head" and Homer as "Step-son." Son Raymond, son William and wife Alverta, Albert and grandson Thurm  (?) also lived under the Turner roof that year.

She died at the age of 76, at the home of granddaughter Mrs. Ralph Smalley, at Coolspring, Fayette County. The Daily Courier said she was survived by two sons, Albert of Perryopolis and Raymond of Ohiopyle, and a daughter, Nancy Leonard of Dunbar, as well as 16 grandchildren and 11 great- grandchildren. Burial was in the Lutheran Cemetery at Chalk Hill, following a funeral led by Rev. Walter Lohr.

Unfortunately, George's Civil War pension papers, which should be a treasure trove of information about his life, exist but apparently are lost. They were transferred from the National Archives -- where they are widely accessible to the public -- to the Veterans Administration, where they are not. Efforts were made in 2009 to secure a copy of these papers, without success. Two letters received by Minerd.com's founder in June 2009, from the Veterans Benefits Administration in Washington DC and the Department of Veterans Affairs in Pittsburgh, state that the records are not kept by those offices. A January 2010 letter from the VA's regional office in Baltimore states: 

We are responding to your request for information submitted under the Privacy Act CFR 503. The service records you requested are not located at our station. We unfortunately were unable to locate a known record on Veteran George Turner. We worked with two National Archive Storage Facilities, and a thorough search was conducted at both sites. We apologize for the delay in processing your request, and for not being able to provide a more favorable response.

~ Daughter Sarah "Elizabeth" (Turner) Smalley ~

Daughter Sarah Elizabeth "Lizzie" Turner (1865-1908) left behind a very scant paper trail. She and her husband are seen here.

Lizzie was born in June 1865, after her father's return from the Civil War. She married George Berl Smalley (1849-1930), the son of William and Mary Smalley. The wedding took place in about 1883, when Lizzie was age 18, and George was 34. She was 16 years younger than her husband. Interestingly, George had been born "on the ocean" in 1849 during his family's emigration from England to the United States.

Their two sons were Charles H. Smalley (born 1884) and Frederick G. Smalley (born 1889). The 1900 census of Stewart Township shows the family together, with George laboring as a farmer. 

Sadly, Lizzie is said to have died in 1908, when she was just 43 years of age. Details of her passing are not yet known.

As a widower, George made his home with his son Frederick in Stewart Township. The 1910 census shows the 60-year-old George, and 20-year-old son Frederick, living under the same roof. Their occupations that year both were marked as "farmer." George's listing in the 1920 census has not yet been located. 

The shadow of death dealt a cruel blow to the family in early December 1924, when son Charles was struck and killed by a railroad train in a freak accident at Ohiopyle.

George died sometime during the day on March 18, 1930, at the age of 81. Son Fred found him dead in bed that evening. The Uniontown Daily News Standard eulogized him as "one of the oldest citizens of Stewart township..." The funeral was held at the home, led by Rev. Kooser. George and Lizzie are buried together at Bryner Ridge Cemetery, also known as Middle Ridge and the old Sproul(e) farm cemetery over the years.

Son Charles H. Smalley (1884-1924) married Florence Armel (1894-1988). They had six children -- Harry Smalley, Robert Smalley and John Smalley, and three others.

When the census was taken in 1920, the Smalleys lived next door to Charles' brother Frederick, and the brothers made a living as coal loaders at a nearby mine. In November and December 1919, Charles placed the following two classified advertisements in the Connellsville Daily Courier, showing his mettle but also a sense of humor, and displaying some of the complexities of the farming life at the time:

Charles is seen here, wearing a uniform of unknown origin.

Tragedy rocked the family on the morning of Dec. 2, 1924, when Charles was in Ohiopyle. He had made stops to obtain his mail at the post office and to purchase groceries at the store of R.W. Whipkey Company. While heading home, his horse was startled by a noise, and bolted toward the railroad crossing. At the same time, a Baltimore & Ohio Railroad locomotive was bearing down on the crossing. Charles managed to turn the horse away, but his sled crossed into the path of the train, demolishing the sled, and killing him instantly. His mangled remains were laid to rest in the Bryner Cemetery, not far from the grave of his mother.

Several days later, a Fayette County Coroner's inquest was held. Given the freak nature of the accident, the jury absolved the B&O Railroad from blame, but also recommended that the company "install a crossing warning system at Ohiopyle that would be more uniform than that now in use," reported the Courier. In providing eyewitness testimony, storekeeper Whipkey said that "warning bells ring from several minutes, to two or three hours ahead of trains going in one direction but only a few minutes the other direction. Smalley was crossing the tracks while the bell was ringing." 

Widowed, Florence helped raise her six children to adulthood. She survived her husband by an extraordinary 64 years. She died in 1988, at the age of 94.

Son Frederick G. Smalley (1889-1974) was born on Oct. 22, 1889 on Kentuck Knob, near Ohiopyle. He served in the US Army during World War I. Frederick wed Laura Watson (1904-1989), the daughter of W.J. Watson, in about 1919. Laura was age 15 at the time of marriage, while Frederick was a dozen years older. They had six children -- Roy G. Smalley, James E. Smalley, Frederick Smalley, Clyde C. Smalley, George R. Smalley and Sylvia M. Smalley. 

The 1920 census shows the newlyweds living near Ohiopyle, with Frederick employed as a loader in a local coal mine. 

Just a few doors away from the Smalleys in 1930 lived Frederick's step-grandmother, Flora (Hull) Turner, and her children ranging in age from 11 to 22. 

Frederick passed away on Oct. 12, 1974, at the age of 85. At the time, said the Uniontown Morning Herald, he was survived by 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He was laid to rest in Middle Ridge Cemetery.

~ Daughter Sophia (Turner) Inks ~

Daughter Sophia Turner (1866-1931) married Thomas J. Inks (1865-1917) in 1885. They had one child, who died sometime prior to 1900. The 1900 census shows Sophia and Thomas making their home in Stewart Township, with Thomas laboring as a farmer. They had been married for 15 years at that point.

After Thomas' death in 1917, Sophia married Warren Dean ( ? - ? ). Stepchildren from her marriage to Dean were Charles Dean, Robert Dean, Minnie Dean, Aaron Dean, Aurella Dean, Laura Dean, Florence Dean and George Dean. 

Sophia and her aged father are known to have traveled together to Uniontown in December 1917, generating a small gossip news article in the Connellsville Daily Courier.

She passed away at her home in Keisterville, Fayette County, on Oct. 25, 1931. After the funeral at the Keister Church, she was laid to rest at the Cove Run Cemetery.

~ Son John Perry Turner ~

Son John Perry Turner (1868-1951) married Lillian Mae Yates (1878-1953) and later moved to Butler, Butler County, PA. He is seen at left, seated on the bumper of a favorite automobile. 

Their children were Henry W. Turner, Mary G. Williams, Ethel Mae McMillen, Samuel Joseph Turner, Susie Elma Brown and Charles P. Turner. 

The Turners were members of the First Methodist Church in Butler. When the 1910 census was taken, they lived in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, PA, as next-door neighbors to John's brother Charles and family. Both John and Charles were employed in 1910 as farm laborers.

Tragically, son Charles drowned in July 1937 when he fell off a sand barge into the Chesapeake Bay. 

John died at the age of 83 on Nov. 26, 1951, at the home of his son Samuel in Butler. His obituary was published in the Butler Eagle newspaper, with burial in the Rose Hill Cemetery. The Eagle said he was survived by 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. 

• Son Henry W. Turner (1893- ? ) worked for Pittsburgh Coal Co. and labored performing "trapping" in Rostraver coal mines circa 1910.
• Daughter Mary G. Turner (1897-1976) married James N. Williams. They made their home in Chicora, Butler County, PA. Mary passed away in January 1976, at the age of 78.
• Daughter Ethel Mae Turner (1899-1981) married George McMillen. Their residence was in Butler, Butler County. Ethel died in December 1981, at the age of 83.
• Son Samuel Joseph Turner (1902- ? )
• Daughter Susie Elma Turner (1903-1991) married Stewart R. Brown. She died on April 17, 1991, at the age of 88.
• Son Charles P. Turner (1907- ? )

~ Son Ulysses "Grant" Turner ~

Son Ulysses "Grant" Turner (1869-1948) married Maryetta Hilling (1871-1947), the daughter of Nelson and Catherine Hilling. They had two children, Maude Harttell and Grant Turner Jr. Circa 1946, when two of Grant's brothers died in separate events, Grant was named in the Connellsville Daily Courier and Uniontown newspaper obituaries. They resided in Mt. Braddock, Fayette County for four decades. 

Maryetta died on March 25, 1947, "after a lingering illness," reported the Daily Courier. 

Grant followed her to the grave a year later, in 1948. He was laid to rest in the Percy Cemetery near Uniontown. 

• In the late 1940s, son Grant Turner Jr. resided in Tacoma, WA. 
• Daughter Maude Turner (1896-1989) married Milton Hartzell, a civil engineer. The Hartzells moved to Fayetteville, Franklin County, PA, and and three children -- George Turner Hartzell, Ida Mary Kistler (1921- ? ) and Mary Ellen Moyle (1924- ? ). George resided in Fayetteville and worked there for a construction company. He is said to have published a book, Book of Life, regarding genealogy.

~ Son Charles S. Turner ~

Son Charles S. Turner (1871-1957) was born in February 1871 in Fayette County. He is believed to have married sisters Flora Hull (1877-1953) and Grace Hull (1884-1931). Charles is seen at right in an undated portrait. He was a farmer and resided near Chalk Hill, Fayette County. 

In all, Charles had 10 children -- Robert M. Turner of Chalk Hill, Nancy Leonard of Greenbrier, Pearl M. McCartney of Uniontown, Bessie G. Smith Sorrels of Chalk Hill, Theodore R. Turner of Evans Station, Luella M. Thompson of Farmington, Eugene Charles Turner of the US Navy, Cornelia F. Turner, Apostle "Paul" Turner and Raymond Turner. 

Charles married his first wife, Flora, in 1895 at Cumberland, Allegany County, MD. After a few years of marriage, and two known children (Nancy and Robert), he allegedly left Flora and the family. She in turn filed for divorce, on the grounds of desertion. News of the legal proceeding was covered in the Connellsville Courier in late 1904 and early 1905. Attorney Leslie A. Howard was appointed master for Flora in the case. 

The divorce was secured. Imagine Charles' reaction when, in 1908, his ex-wife married his widowed father. The scandal made headline news in the Connellsville newspapers.

Charles made his own twist of revenge when he married his ex-wife's sister, Grace Hull. He and Grace were 14 years apart in age.  Circa 1910, they resided along West Newton Road in Rostraver, Westmoreland County, PA, with Charles working as a farm laborer. Residing in their home that year were children Nancy and Robert from the first marriage and Pearl M. Turner, Bessie Turner, Theodore Roosevelt "Teddy" Turner and Luella Turner from the second marriage. Living next door was Charles' brother and sister in law, John P. and Lillian Turner.

Sadly, Grace died at home as she neared her 48th birthday on Oct. 20, 1931. She rests for eternity in the Leonard Cemetery at Chalk Hill. 

Flora passed away at the age of 76 on the day after Christmas 1953, at the home of granddaughter Mrs. Ralph Smalley at Coolspring, near Uniontown. She was laid to rest at the Lutheran Cemetery in Chalk Hill. At her death, the Courier gave the names of her surviving children as Albert Turner of Perryopolis, Raymond Turner of Ohiopyle and Nancy Leonard of Dunbar. At the time, she had produced 15 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She also was survived by brother John Hull of Uniontown and sisters Sally Hann of Philadelphia, Prudence Swedeburg of San Francisco and Frances Grier of Washington State.

Charles lived in Uniontown, Fayette County circa 1951. He died in 1957. In all, the known children of Charles and his two wives are as follow:

• Daughter Nancy Turner (1896-1982) married Edward Leonard. She made her home for decades in Dunbar, Fayette County. Nancy died in November 1982, at the age of 86.
• Son Robert M. Turner (1899-1946) married Mabel Weimer ( ? - ? ). They lived at 105 Chestnut Street in Uniontown. The Turners had one daughter, Betty Guthrie. Robert died in the Uniontown Hospital at the age of 47 on April 17, 1946. His place of burial is the Leonard Cemetery.
• Daughter Pearl M. Turner (1902-1992 ) wed Benjamin "Ben" McCartney. She resided in Uniontown circa 1970. She passed away in July 1992 at the age of 90.
• Daughter Bessie Turner (1905-1987) apparently was married twice, first to (?) Smith and second to Dewey Sorrells. She lived in Washington, DC in 1970. Bessie passed away on Nov. 10, 1987.
• Son Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Turner (1907-1970) married Viola Moreland ( ? - ? ). They resided in Uniontown for many years and later in 1964 moved to nearby Belle Vernon, Fayette County. The Turners had five children -- Frances Fotta, Beatrice Chidester, Elizabeth Golcher, Edward Turner and Theodore E. Turner. Ted died at the age of 53 on Oct. 18, 1970, and was buried in Leonard Cemetery. At the time, he was survived by 20 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 
• Daughter Luella Turner (1909-1958) married James Thompson ( ? - ? ). They resided on the Chalk Hill-Ohiopyle Road near Uniontown. The Thompsons had three children -- Viola King, Hazel Clender and James R. Thompson. They attended the Chalk Hill Methodist Church. Luella passed away at the age of 49 on Feb. 3, 1958. She was interred in the Sunset View Cemetery. 
• Son Eugene Charles Turner (1913-1959) resided in Imperial Beach, CA. He was married and had children. He was a retired chief gunner's mate with the US Navy, and was a World War II veteran, with 22 years' of service in total. He died at the age of 46 on May 13, 1959. 
• Daughter Cornelia F. Turner (1916-1935) passed away at the age of 19, following an illness of four months' duration, on April 10, 1935. Following funeral services held at the home of her married sister, Pearl McCartney, she was laid to rest in the Leonard Cemetery in Chalk Hill, near Uniontown. 
• Son Paul P. Turner (1917-1989) resided in Dunbar, Fayette County, circa 1970. He died on June 11, 1989.
• Son Ray Turner (1923-1981) lived in Waltersburg, Fayette County in 1970. He died in August 1981.

~ Son Homer W. Turner ~

Son Homer W. Turner (1873-1946) was a farmer and was married to Sally B. (?) (1878- ? ). The Turners had at least six children, Sophia "Sofa" White Holland, Lenora White, George E. Turner, James A. Turner, Hazel Johnson and Agnes Turner, all born between the years 1898 and 1905. The 1900 census shows the family living in Stewart Township, just a few doors away from Homer's older married sister, Elizabeth and George Smalley. 

Sadly, Mary passed away sometime before 1910. When the census was taken in 1910, widower Homer and the children lived next door to his father. By 1930, he and his former sister in law, the widowed Flora Turner, were living together as stated in the U.S. census. Homer passed away at his home at Chalk Hill at the age of 73 on July 30, 1946. The funeral and burial were held at the Christ Evangelical Church. His obituary in the Uniontown newspaper said he was survived by nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. At the time, his son George and daughters Sophia Holland, Hazel Johnson and Mrs. Albert Wenger were all residing in Philadelphia, PA. 

• Daughter Sophia Turner (1897-1986) married Edmund Holland. Circa 1973, she lived in Conshohocken, near Philadelphia. Sophis died in February 1986.
• Daughter Lenora "Nora" Turner (1899-1973) married Robert M. White Jr. (1896-1964), a cousin and the son of Robert Marshall White. They lived in Hopwood and were members of the Central Christian Church. The Whites had four children: Robert W. White, Madeline Walters, Frances Meyer and Sally Cluelow. Tragically, son Robert was killed in a truck accident on West Main Street in Uniontown at the age of 30, on Aug. 25, 1950. Robert passed away on April 6, 1964, with burial at Chalk Hill Cemetery following funeral arrangements handled by the Minerd Funeral Home. Later in life, Lenora made her home with or near her daughters in Coraopolis, Allegheny County, PA, where she belonged to the St. Andrew Lutheran Church. She passed away at the age of 74 on Dec. 6, 1973, at the Sewickley Valley Hospital. She was laid to rest in the Chalk Hill Cemetery. 
• Daughter  Hazel Turner (1903-1984) married Leonard Johnson. She resided in Trevose, Bucks County, PA in 1973. Hazel passed away in Lackawanna County, PA in July 1984.

~ Daughter Lydia (Turner) Heltebran ~

Daughter Lydia Turner (1877-1951) married Samuel Heltebran (1872-1911), the son of Jacob and Delila (Rhodes) Heltebran of Westmoreland County, PA. Leyda and Samuel had three children -- Clarence Thomas Helterbran, George Dewey Helterbran and Earl J. Helterbran. They resided in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County circa 1896, and she later belonged to the First Methodist Church of Charleroi. Sadly, Samuel passed away of unknown causes at the age of 39 in 1939, with burial in Hoffman Cemetery in Smithton, Westmoreland County. Lydia died at the age of 74 on April 18, 1951 in the Monessen Hospital. A newspaper reported that she was survived by five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

• Son Clarence Thomas Helterbran Sr. (1896-1978) married twice, first to Ruth (divorced 1929) and second to Beulah Jane Williams (1915-1978), the daughter of Isaac N. and Elizabeth (Wilburn) Williams of Mill Run, Fayette County, PA. Clarence worked at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel in Allenport, PA until retirement. Despite having a "crippled right foot," he was a veteran of World War I, serving in Company D of the 17th Cavalry, and received a Purple Heart for wounds. During the Great Depression, he was employed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the federal government, and was a laborer on the work crew that reconstructed historic Fort Necessity. He also was a member of the Charleroi Fishing Club. Beulah belonged to the Hiller Free Methodist Church. Clarence and Beulah had five children -- Clarence Jr., Thomas (?), Georgette, Thelma Mae and Earlene Helterbran. Clarence Sr. died in Charleroi-Monessen Hospital in 1978, with burial at Monongahela Cemetery. At his death, a newspaper reported that he was survived by 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
• Son George Dewey Helterbran (1898-1983) married Sylvia Joseph of Ohiopyle. They had several children. George was employed early in his adult life by Imperial Glass Company of Charleroi. He was a veteran of World War I, and later resided in Phoenix, Maricipa County, AZ, where he died in April 1983.
• Son Earl J. Helterbran (1899-1970) married Frances Sechez, a native of Belgium. They had no children, and lived at 817 Rear Washington Avenue in Charleroi. Earl was employed by Allenport plant of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel. Frances belonged to the St. Jerome Catholic Church in Charleroi. He died at the age of 70 in February 1970, with burial at Sacred Heart Cemetery near Monongahela. She outlived him by some years and died at the age of 76.

~ Son Frank George Turner ~

Son Frank George Turner (1885-1946) married Bertha Ann Lee (1890-1985). 

She is seen here, in older age.

They resided on Jacobs Creek Road in South Huntington Township, Westmoreland County. Circa 1918, when he registered for the federal draft during World War I, he was employed by the Strawn-Blaney Coal Company of Allenport, PA. Later, in the 1940s, they lived at Ohiopyle. 

The Turners had at least 11 children -- Mary Louise Dean Shipley, Warren Frank Turner, Leah Bernadine Turner, Dora Turner, Kenneth G. Turner, Harold E. Turner, David Turner, Verna Wise, Mabel Ridley, Ruth Cutright and Nancy Johnson. Sadly, two daughters died in infancy -- Leah Bernadine (1907) and Dora (Feb. 25, 1909, age 27 days).

Tragedy struck twice in 1946 -- first in October, when married daughter Mary Louise Dean Shipley died, leaving her three young sons as orphans. The boys were taken into Frank and Bertha's home to raise. 

The second horrible event of that year was when Frank himself was killed when the automobile in which he was a passenger collided with a truck the day before Christmas Eve 1946. The accident occurred on U.S. Route 40 near Flint Rock Park, east of Uniontown, and made front-page headlines in the Connellsville Daily Courier. He was laid to rest at Bryner Ridge Cemetery, along the Farmington-Ohiopyle Road. 

Bertha outlived her husband by almost four decades. She passed away in 1985, and was interred beside her husband. The words "23rd Psalm" are inscribed on the face of their grave marker.

• Daughter Mary Louise Turner (1907-1946) married Charles William Dean Sr. (1900-1933), the son of Warren McEwen and Bessie (McNutt) Dean Sr. The Deans had five sons -- Charles William Dean Jr., David Lewis Dean, Frank Warren Dean, Vincent Dean and Edward Dean. See their linked biography for more detail. 
• Son Warren Frank Turner (1911-1992) married Naomi Shaeffer (1915-1965). They resided in Ohiopyle, Fayette County. Warren -- seen at right -- died in 1992 at the age of 81.
• Son Harold E. Turner (1914-1983) married Dorothy Litten (1920-2006) and Mary Sims. They made their home in Ambridge, Beaver County, PA. Harold died in 1983. 
• Daughter Verna J. Turner married Clarence William Wise (1918-1992). They lived in Lemont Furnace/Cove Run, Fayette County. Clarence passed away in 1992 at the age of 74.
• Son Kenneth George Turner (1921-2007) lived in Ohiopyle and Hopwood, Fayette County, and was married five times -- to Hannah Thorpe (1924-1992), Zelda Provance (1925-2005), Mamie Iseley (1915-1982), Dorothy Currin and Thelma Luckey. Kenneth served in the US Army during three major U.S. armed conflicts -- World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. In January 1950, he received an Army commendation "for outstanding performance of duty as a military escort in the program of returning war dead," said a local newspaper. "The commendation was in recognition of Sgt. Turner's service in escorting the remains of American servicemen who died overseas and whose bodies have been returned here for final burial... Turner and other trained military escorts accompany each deceased serviceman from New York to the place of final burial selected by next of kin. After contacting the family on arriving at the serviceman's home town, the escorting soldier offers his services and presents the country's flag to the next of kin at the conclusion of the graveside service." He retired from the Army at the end of 1971 with the rank of command sergeant major. He died on May 10, 2007, just a week after his 86th birthday.
• Daughter Mabel Turner married Arnold Ridley (1925-1992). Their home was in Fairmont, Marion County, WV. 
• Daughter Ruth "Corkie" Turner (1924-1981) married Richard Cutright (1924-1990). Their residence was in Fairmont. 
• Son David G. Turner married Margaret Van Swearingen (1925-2002). They made their home in Uniontown, Fayette County. Margaret died at the age of 77 on June 7, 2002.
• Daughter Nancy M. Turner married Theodore Clark Johnson.

~ Daughter Charlotte "Lottie" (Turner) McMillan ~

Daughter Charlotte "Lottie" Turner (1881-1906) was born on April 22, 1881. History's scant paper trail records her in 1900 at age 19, making her home with her parents at the time of the federal census. That year, she was employed as a "laborer." 

Family papers show that Lottie married John McMillan ( ? - ? ). They made their home near Farmington, and John made his business calls in Ohiopyle.

According to family oral history, she died in childbirth on Oct. 13, 1906, at the age of 25, and was buried with the baby in her arms. Lottie and child were laid to rest in the Bryner Ridge Cemetery near Ohiopyle, where her mother and other relatives already were at rest.

Any other details of their lives are lost in the misty haze of the past.

John's fate is unknown. More will be reported here when learned.

~ Turner Reunions ~

In 1975, the descendants of George and Mary (White) Turner began holding annual reunions in Fayette County, PA. The third annual reunion, in 1977, was conducted at Braddock's Inn, with Theron J. Turner elected president. A newspaper article reported that "A buffet dinner was served. The afternoon was spent reminiscing over old pictures, working on the family tree of some eight generations, playing games and contests for which prizes were awarded.... Officers for 1978 were elected: president, Arthur McCartney; vice president, Ray Turner; secretary, Margaret Masiarelli; treasurer, Nell Marker." The 1978 reunion was scheduled to be held on the third Sunday of August 1978. The 2007 reunion was held on Sept. 2, 2007, beginning at 1 p.m. at Wharton Township Park along Route 381 in Farmington, Fayette County.

We are grateful to Turner descendants Brenda Turner Blake, Charles William Dean, Vivian Kalberer and Paul Kyle for generously sharing research information for this webpage.