Centennial Portrait and Biographical Record of the City of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio.
LEVI H. TURNER, [pages 1200-1201] of Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, an ex-soldier of the late Civil war, and a prosperous farmer, was born in Liberty, Jefferson township, this county, on the 18th of October, 1844. His parents, Daniel and Elizabeth (Hoffman) Turner, were natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent, and were early settlers in Montgomery county, Ohio.
Levi H. Turner was educated in the common schools, but continued his studies at home until some time after he vvas married. He was reared to farming and was noted for his industry as a young man. At the age of twenty years he enlisted in the Ohio national guards, under Capt. John Nicholas, for five years. In May, 1864, he was mustered into the United States service, at Columbus, Ohio, under the call for 100-day men, was assigned to company F, One Hundred and Thirty-first regiment. Ohio volunteer infantry, under Capt. Daniel Holderman, and was on guard duty at Fort McHenry, Federal Hill, Baltimore, Md., until his honorable discharge in August, 1864. He then resumed farming, and on October 24, 1867, married Miss Annie Baker, who was born December 2, 1848, the daughter of Benjamin and Frances (Niswonger) Baker, to whom reference is made in the review of the life of Levi Baker elsewhere in this volume.
After marriage, Mr. Turner farmed in Clay township for a short time, then removed to Jefferson township and lived on the old Turner homestead for about nine years. In 1877 he bought the farm of seventy-five acres in Clay township on which he still resides, and which he has converted into one of the finest places of its size in the township. Mr. and Mrs. Turner also resided in Dayton for about six years, Mr. Turner being during this time interested in a stone quarry. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Turner have been born four children, viz: Ettie A., who is married to Oliver F. Dillman, a hardware merchant in Brookville, and is the mother of three children: Lillie M., now a young lady; Clara L., who died at eight years of age, and Chester H., now a young man and making his home with his parents. In politics Mr. Turner is a democrat, and he and his wife and children are members of the United Brethren church.
Daniel Turner, the father of Levi H., was a son of David Turner, who died on his farm near Lewistown, Pa., and who was the father of the following named children: John, James, Robert, David, Sarah and Daniel. Of these, John and Daniel settled in Dayton. Daniel was a cabinetmaker and for many years worked at his trade in Liberty. He first married Miss Sallie Birch, the union resulting in the birth of six children, viz: Harrison, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, William and Jacob. Mrs. Sallie Turner having died, Daniel Turner married Miss Elizabeth Hoffman, daughter of John and Elizabeth Hoffman, and to this marriage were born Margaret, Malinda, Levi H., Ella, John, Samuel, Minerva, Josie, Manass, and one that died in infancy. Daniel Turner, after a residence of many years in Liberty, finally purchased a farm of 237 acres near the town, on which he passed the remainder of his days, dying in December, 1877, at the age of seventy-eight years, in the faith of the United Brethren church.
