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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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William
M. Turnbull It
is always pleasant and profitable to contemplate the career of a man who has won
a definite goal in life, whose career has been such as to commend the honor and
respect of his fellow citizens. Such,
in brief, is the record of the well-known agriculturist whose name heads this
sketch, than whom a more whole-souled or genial gentleman it would be hard to
find within the limits of Rock Creek Township, Jasper County, where he has long
maintained his home and where he has labored not only for his own individual
advancement and that of his immediate family, but also for the improvement of
the entire community whose interests he has ever had at heart. William M. Turnbull hails from the far-away land of heath and
bluebell, the bonnie Scotland of poetic and romantic history, on whose rugged
hills his progenitors led a free, outdoor life, close to the life-giving,
sympathetic, ideal-fostering heart of mother nature, so that they were not only
hearty and happy-natured but gentle and kindly disposed to their fellow men, and
many of their commendable traits have descended to the subject. Mr. Turnbull was born in northern Scotland April 20,
1848, the son of James and Ann (Matheison) Turnbull, both born in Scotland and
there grew up and were married. The father was a shepherd, as was his father
before him, William Turnbull, the latter having worked for one man for a period
of twenty-two years, tending sheep. James
Turnbull and wife immigrated to America in 1849, when the immediate subject of
this review was about a year old, the ocean voyage requiring sixteen weeks.
The family located at Elmira, Illinois, and finally bought a farm there.
Mr. Turnbull gradually increased his holdings until he owned a valuable
place of two hundred and forty acres, becoming well established and one of the
leading men of his community. He
reached the advanced age of eighty-three years.
He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church. His family consisted
of eleven children, seven of whom are living at this writing, namely: Mrs. James
Rule, of Grinnell, Iowa; Mrs. Mary Scott, of Bradford, Illinois; Mrs. Flora
Beatty, of Elmira, Illinois; Mrs. Walter Rule, of Kewanee, Illinois; Margaret
0., who has remained single and is still a member of the home circle; John M.
lives in Neponset, Illinois, at the old home; William M., of this review. The subject received a limited education in the common
schools of Elmira, Illinois, at which place he grew to manhood and assisted his
father on the home place when old enough, during the crop seasons. He worked on
the home farm until 1876, when he came to Jasper County, Iowa. He had been economical and had a start before leaving home
and, having decided to devote his life to farming, he first bought one hundred
and sixty acres in Rock Creek Township. He set to work faithfully and soon had
good improvements on his land and his fields under cultivation, and here he has
since remained, doing well as a general farmer and stock raiser, paying special
attention to preparing cattle and hogs for the market. Mr. Turnbull is a Republican in politics and he has taken
more or less interest in local affairs since he came here, and he has served his
Township as trustee and as justice of the peace, proving to be a very able and
conscientious public servant. On March 14, 1876, Mr. Turnbull was united in marriage
with Margaret G. Turnbull, daughter of Alexander Turnbull of Scotland. Four children were born to the subject and wife, namely: Mrs.
Bertha Luella Buck; Garfield is deceased; Alexander J. is also deceased, and the
youngest died in infancy. The wife
and mother was called to her rest on November 6, 1903. Mr. Turnbull remains on his home place, but does not do much hard work, his daughter and her husband making their home with him; but he is yet active, hale and hearty for one of his age. Since coming here he has made a host of friends and is well known over the eastern part of the County, enjoying the respect of all who know him. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, 1046. |
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