Person:Francis Turner (24)

Will of Francis Turner dated 14 Jan 1908 and recorded 20 April 1917 in Ellis County, Texas.   Will names: Son:  James Thomas Turner  Wife Mary A.  Children of grandaughter Gertrude Dawson, dec'd Grandaughters: Sallie Bethell Jimmie McElroy Walter Odom (Note: this was Julia) These were all children of his dec'd daughter, Alice Elizabeth "Bette" Odom Glera Kate Tenpenny, child of Caldonia Tenpenny(dec'd) James T. was administrator Witnesses:  Gardner Batte, R.W.Poplin, R.C. White(R.C. Poplin was the physician in Sardis)

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/6960696/person/-1191532788/media/5?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7cpgNum

According to books on local history, Francis & Mary were both children of prosperous DeKalb Co. TN families. In an article on life before the Civil War, which appeared in the "Liberty Herald" April 6 1892, written by a long time DeKalb Co. resident, it is stated that among others, the Turners and theTurney family were the leaders in fashion. The Civil War was particularly harsh for citizens of DeKalb Co. and apparently, the Ashworth, Tubb, and Turner families suffered considerable loss from the war. By 1870 census, Mary's parents were still listed in the county, but most of their children had moved west to Texas where Thomas & Julia Ashworth soon joined them. The Turners also left DeKalb Co. and were in Cannon (Wilson?) Co. by the 1870 census. Francis & his family were members of the Baptist Church and his name appears in records of contributions for the church - the records also report the deaths of two of his daughters, Julia & Caldonia.Francis & Mary moved to Ellis Co. Tx sometime before April 1896 -Baptist Chruch records which report the death of Julia state that Francis & Mary are in TX James Thomas moved with his parents and Bettie & husband Albert Ross Odom also moved to Texas about he same time. 

1. ↑ United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432)
   Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: District 2, Dekalb, Tennessee; Roll: M432_876; Page: 17; Image: 161.

   [Entry Recording Date : 5 MAY 2008] _TMPLT:
   FIELD:
   Name: Page
   VALUE: Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: District 2, Dekalb, Tennessee; Roll: M432_876; Page: 17; Image: 161 _QUAL:
   _SOUR: O
   _INFO: P
   _EVID: D

2. ↑ United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132)
   Wilson County, Tennessee, District 13, population schedule, page 2, dwelling #12, family #13, Mary Turner; online database, Ancestry.com, (http://www.ancestry.com/: downloaded 19 Apr 2011), citing NARA Microfilm Publication M593.

   _TMPLT:
   FIELD:
   Name: Page
   VALUE: Wilson County, Tennessee, District 13, population schedule, page 2, dwelling #12, family #13, Mary Turner; online database, Ancestry.com, (http://www.ancestry.com/: downloaded 19 Apr 2011), citing NARA Microfilm Publication M593. _QUAL:
   _SOUR: O
   _INFO: P
   _EVID: D