Isaac was the fourth child of Jim and Janey Turpen. Born in May 1847, he lived in Owen County for
just a few years before the family left. He probably had no recollection of what it was like there. By age 22, the family had settled
in Jefferson, Greene County, Iowa but Isaac did not stay long. He was in Iowa in 1870 and by 1880 he was in
the Unorganized Territory of Holt County, Nebraska, living near his Uncle Newt Turpin and
the other Nebraska Turpins. In the 1885
State Census of Nebraska, he had moved to Long Pine in Brown County,
Nebraska. That is west of Holt County. Finally, Isaac landed in California. He was listed in Fresno in the California Voter
Registrations in 1896.
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| 1896 - California Voter Registration with Isaac N. Turpen |
Isaac spelled his last name both ways – Turpen and
Turpin. He normally used his middle
initial, but not always. And he was not afraid to move on to new places. It makes the search interesting, Isaac!
No marriage records have been found. But by the time of the 1900 census, he is
living with his wife Martha A. who was born in October 1868 in Nebraska. They had been married about 10 years. That
marriage could have happened anywhere from Nebraska to California. Martha was about 20 years younger than Isaac. They had no children so there are no families saving Isaac and Martha's history.
Isaac was engaged in farming and one of the censuses listed him as a fruit grower. The 1901 Fresno
City Directory listed him as an orchardist residing in Easton. As early as 1911, the directory showed him
residing on Effie Street with no occupation listed.
Later in 1916, the directory still had him living on Effie
Street. He would have been 69 years
old. In 1916, Martha was listed in the Long
Beach, California City Directory as a widow of I. N. Turpin living on 238 Elm
Street. That could mean that Isaac died
that year and she relocated. In 1918,
she was back in Fresno on Effie Street.
Likewise in the 1920 census, Martha was living on Effie Street and listed as a
widow aged 51.
After that both are gone.
I have not found Isaac or Martha
in obituaries or cemetery listings.
