George Washington Turpen, #7

George is my favorite child in Jim and Janey’s family because he helped make one of the Turpin connections.  George's son Homer and my mother Letha met up in Iowa and looked for the tie our families.   What were the chances that the Turpens of Greene County, Iowa were NOT related to the Turpins of Greene County, Iowa?   How we were connected was the question. (I think the question is answered by recognizing Jim Turpen as the older brother of Robert Newton Turpin.)

George was the seventh child in his family. He was born 26 December 1856 in Owen County, Indiana.  Their part of the family had not yet left Indiana.  But we capture him in the 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses in Greene County, Iowa.  In the last census, he is living with his son Homer Turpen.

George married Mabel Davis on 30 June 1887.  George and Mabel farmed in Greene County. Their family included Clarence A., Pearl, Verna, Homer D., Gladys, and Florence. Homer Turpen had a son Duane R. Turpen of Kansas City, Missouri.  I have not followed up on the other children.

In the 1910 census, George’s mother Janey is still alive at age 94 and living with him.   The census listed her birth year as 1816.  Many censuses confirm that she was born a Virginian but the 1910 census leaves us with a question -- what does it say???

Janey Turpen's birthplace of Virginia is crossed out and replaced by...something.

George Turpen died 13 April 1932.  Mabel died a few years before in 1929.  George and Mabel are buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery where so many other Turpins were laid to rest.