This page contains information that didn't logically fit elsewhere. The Scope of My Research As I wrote this in the summer of 2007 and updated it in April of 2012 I had and continue to have a reasonably high degree of certainty that I've uncovered pretty much all there is to find in the way of currently available online internet records regarding Edward and Martha Turner, their children, and Edward's Wisconsin parents and siblings. This includes death, cemetery, and marriage indexes, census records, online newspaper record searches, etc. One of the frustrations of this sort of research is that there are often records missing where you know there should be some. Census takers regularly missed people entirely and are notorious for misspelling names and getting dates close but not quite correct. Additionally, state, county, and local government record keeping in the late 1800's and early 1900's wasn't all the good. I should note that new records are being regularly added to the internet and it is certainly possible that in the years to come, more information regarding the Turners will become available. On my July 2006 trip to Idaho I visited information sources in both Jerome and Grace. The Jerome Historical Society Museum had obituaries for some Turner descendents and a marriage record for one. While I was there the museum's caretaker looked for other historical information (including following up on the clue that Frederick H. Turner was likely the sheriff there in 1930) but come up with nothing. I spent time in both the Grace and Soda Springs libraries and found 3 books containing references to Edward J. Turner. While one can't ever be totally sure of such things, I feel I've very likely uncovered all the information regarding the Turners available in these libraries. In addition, the Marshall Public Library in Pocatello, ID checked their books and records for me and everything they found has been included in this biography. I've also exhausted everything available at the Soda Springs Mormon run Family History Center. If someone ever becomes motivated to continue the research into the Turners, I would suggest visiting libraries and/or Historical Societies/Museums in locations such as Weiser and Shoshone Idaho where Martha Catherine Turner and some of her children are known to have lived and that I have not visited. The Wisconsin Turners Before finally obtaining Edward J. Turner's 1916 death certificate in June of 2007 which clearly identified his parents as John and Margaret Turner, identifying his parents and siblings in Wisconsin with a high degree of certainty was the result of accumulating quit a few small pieces of information, few of which could individually prove the relationship but which taken together clearly establish it. To view a summary of my now somewhat obsolete case, click here:
Since 2007 much more has been learned about the Wisconsin Turners which is presented in a separate biography. Turner Descendents Click here for a summary list of those that I currently show in my genealogical database of Turner descendants.
Other Information and Summaries In July of 2006 after returning from my trip to Idaho I wrote an interim summary of what I'd discovered regarding the Turners which was e-mailed to my brothers and cousins. A lot of it is redundant and merely an earlier version of information contained here but I thought I'd included it here anyway.
Also after my 2006 trip to Idaho I wrote a summary of how to find the Turner Ranch in the Gentile Valley and Martha Turner's graves site in Jerome as a aid to others who may eventually visit these areas.
In August of 2006 I wrote a letter to Grace, ID resident Jay Turner to see if he had any information which could establish a family connection to my Turner ancestors. In December of 2006 June Turner wrote back and, as I expected, she and Jay could make no family connection. She did however have a few stories regarding Edward J. Turner which she was kind enough to relate. In January of 2007 I sent Jay and June a second letter to continue the conversation and received a response a short time later.
Mystery Photos Among a collection of photos which my cousin Ellen Darling-Benson loaned me for scanning and which had been passed down to her from our grandmother Rose were several taken in or near Idaho and others from Janesville, Wisconsin which contain no identification as to who the subject is. It is possible (maybe even probable) that some of them may be of Idaho Turner family members and/or their Janesville relatives. I've included these mystery photo here in case someone is someday able to identify them.
Census and Other Records A number of the original census and other records I've accumulated regarding the Turners are included included here but a little challenging to access. You'll need to use your own photo viewing software to access them. Click below to access the file folder The contents of the records found in this folder are generally described in the file names (which are stored mostly in date order).
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