The Turner Family
Polli
Jost Turner, Editor
First Generation--
William Ellis Turner, born Jan. 20, 1852, in KY; died April 10,
1915, of pneumonia, in Amarillo, TX; 63 years old. He wasan only
child, says cousin Dorothea (Turner) Zoller. Married (Sept. 9,
1885, in Hill Co., TX,) Mary Francis Dewyers, born Jan. 15, 1870, in Marlin, TX; died
Dec. 12, 1937, in Pomona, CA, of stomach cancer; 67 years old.
Their marriage license was obtained in Hillsboro, in Hill Co.,
TX, just to the north.
William was buried in Llano Cemetery in Amarillo--the epitaph on his
grave reads, "Asleep in Jesus, blessed thought." Mary ran a
boarding house in Amarillo to help support the family after William died.
Mary was buried in Pomona Cemetery.
An obituary from the Amarillo Daily News tells that William worked for
the Puckett Grain Company, and was a member of the Central Presbyterian
Church. His son William’s birth certificate gives his occupation
as farmer. They lived at 1207 Garfield at the time of his death. The
city directory for 1915 gives Mary’s name as Fannie M. Turner, and
gives her occupation as nurse.
1. Thomas Azro Turner,
"Tom," born Jan. 6, 1887; died Dec. 22, 1970; 83 years old. Married
(Oct. 13, 1907, in Greer Co., OK, at the home of his sister Nora) Essie
May Page, born Nov. 4, 1889; died July 1961; 71 years old. They had 13
children. For a time in Idaho, he dealt cards for a living. In 1913 he
was a machine helper for the Santa Fe Railroad, and owned the house the
family lived in.
2. Nora E. Turner,
born Oct. 9, 1889; died Jan.
7, 1971; 81 years old. Married (Nov. 25, 1906) Charles M. McKinney, who
died Nov. 7, 1927.
Second marriage (May 7, 1929) J. Thomas Webb.
3. William Nixon Turner,
"Bill," born Oct. 12, 1892, in West Station, McLennan Co., TX;
died Jan. 22, 1971, in Pomona, CA; 79 years old. Married Jewel Eleandor
Garrison.
4. Eva E. Turner,
born April 14, 1897. In 1917
she was an operator for the Southwest Telephone and Telegraph Company.
Married (Dec. 15, 1917) Dee Smith, who died 1918.
second marriage, Guy W. Bell.
5. Otis Earl Turner,
born Oct. 16, 1901; died Nov. 4, 1917, in Amarillo, TX, of typhoid fever;
16 years old. He was working for Western Union as a telegrapher at the
time he died. He was buried in Llano Cemetery beside his father. His
epitaph reads, "Budded on earth, to bloom in Heaven."
6. Wessie Loretta Turner,
born Sept. 16, 1904; died Oct. 13,1932, in an auto accident; 28 years
old. Married (July 2, 1922) T. D. Fulghum. They had no children.
Second Generation--
William Nixon Turner, "Bill," born Oct. 12, 1892, in
West, McLennan Co., TX; died Jan. 22, 1971, in Chino, CA; 79
years old. Married (Dec. 17, 1911, in Wheeler, TX) Jewel Elendor Garrison,
born Oct. 18, 1891, in Comanche, TX; died Oct. 29, 1980, in Pomona,
CA; 89 years old. West is a small town about 20 miles north of
Waco. It is a Czech town, and was at one time called West Station
because of its position on the railroad.
Bill and Uncle Levi travelled around to find work. First they were in
Springerville, CA, then the families moved to Armona, El Centro, and
finally homesteaded outside of Wilcox, AZ. The homestead was noth of
Wilcox, between and a little south of Bonita and Sunset. Elie and Veta
were both born on that homestead, but their mailing address changed.
While they were there, Bill and Levi continued to travel to find work.
When their Grandpa Garrison died in 1922, they gave up the homestead
because there would be no men around, and it was so far out in the country.
From there they moved to Bisby and Globe, AZ, to work in the copper mines.
Then they tried farming again in the Wilcox area, but with no luck. In
1925 the family moved to Pomona. The old homestead is now part of a cattle
ranch.
1. Thomas Kermit Turner,
"Kermit," born Sept. 20, 1912, in Armona, CA; died June 4, 1962,
of cancer, in Arcadia, CA; 50 years old. Served aboard USS Princeton when
it was torpedoed in China Sea in WWII. Married Geneveive, "Jean." Kermit
worked for Edison for 21 years
2. Ella Irene Turner,
born Dec. 21, 1913, in Imperial, CA; died Dec. 23, 1913, in El Centro,
CA; two days old.
3. Elie Ellis Turner,
born Nov. 25, 1915, in Bonita, AZ; died May 20, 1971, in San Bernardino,
CA; 55 years old. Died of a brain aneurysm. Married Marjorie June Jones.
4. Sylvia Loveta Turner,
"Veta," born July 13, 1917, in Sunset, AZ; died Jan. 30, 1999;
in Pomona Valley Hospital, of cerebral hemorrhage; 81 years old. Married
(June 1, 1934, in Ontario, CA) Delbert Dale Nicholson, "Dale," born
in Hardy, NE. His parents were William Link Nicholson and Maude Alma Tucker.
Dale also worked for SC Edison for many years.
5. Billie Nixon Turner,
born April 18, 1933, in Pomona, CA; died April 18, 1933; stillborn.
Third Generation--
Elie Ellis Turner, born Nov. 25, 1915, in Bonita, AZ; died May 20,
1971, in San Bernardino, CA; 55 years old. Served in the U.S.
Navy aboard the tanker Aussilo with 3.25 million gallons high
test gasoline, unescorted, for 18 months in WWII.
Married first (1940) Jeanette Brest. Divorced, 1945.
Married (March 21, 1947, in Boulder City, NV) Marjorie June Jones Moffat, born June 22, 1920, in Pierce, Weld Co.;
died Dec. 8, 1992, of kidney failure; 72 years old. He adopted her daughter,
Janice, in 1959. Elie was District Superintendant for Edison in Lake
Arrowhead, CA until his death of a brain aneurysm. After Elie died, Marge
married (March 22, 1976) Edward James Beck, born April 28, 1922, in Ripley,
NY; died Feb. 23, 1977, in Portland, OR; 55 years old.
1. Janice Kay Moffat Turner,
Married (1962) David Stanley Curran. They had three children, and were
later divorced.
2. Stephen Ellis Turner,
"Steve," married (1970) Carol Marie Miller. They have two sons.
Steve retired from SC Edison in Rialto, CA. Steve & Carol divorced
in 1998.
3. Randall Lee Turner,
"Randy," born in Pomona, CA. Married Polli Ruth Jost.
Fourth Generation--
Randall Lee Turner, "Randy," born in Pomona, CA. Married (1973)
Peggy McLemore. They divorced, had no children.
Second marriage (1979, at the Church on the Way, in Van Nuys, CA) Pauline Ruth Jost, "Polli," born 1953, in Banning, CA
Randy and Polli met in 1971 when they were both attending Azusa Pacific
University. Randy majored in Biblical Literature, with a minor in Christian
Education. Polli majored in Biblical Literature and Psychology, with
a minor in German. Both sang in college choirs.
Randy works for Bear Creek Corporation, in southern Oregon. Polli is
a homemaker, homeschools their daughters, and does genealogy research
in her spare (?) time.
1. Christi Joy Turner,
born 1987. Christi is a homeschooler, in sixth grade. She loves people,
working with Dad, and Star Wars!
2. Cathi Lynn Turner,
born 1989. Cathi is a homeschooler, in fifth grade. She loves reading,
working on the computer and cats!
Sources:
Family information
March 1, 2013
Polli Turner
