Sixth Child Mary Amanda Turpin – A Nebraska Pioneer

Robert Newton Turpin arrived in Nebraska in April 1878 and settled in what is now Rock County, Nebraska.  However one of his daughters, Mary Amanda Turpin Porter, arrived earlier!  Known as Amanda, she was born on 14 Oct 1855 while the Turpins were still in McLean County, Illinois.1 

Amanda was the sixth child.  According to the marriage records, she married 25 October 1871 in Greene County, Iowa “on consent of Mary's mother” to William Cassius Porter.2  The Porter had eight children:  Charles A. Porter, Josephine Amanda Porter Mahoney, Leona A. Porter Howard, Frederick A. Porter, Louisa I. Porter Converse, Mary E. Porter Holmes, William E. Porter, and Daniel O. Porter.3

Veteran’s Day Research

Charles is a common name in the Turpin family.  One of Robert Newton Turpin’s sons was named Charles Francis Turpin.  Today I’m looking at one of his great nephews who registered for both World War I and II.

Charles L. Turpin was a great nephew of Robert Newton Turpin.  Born 1877 in McLean County, Illinois to William Richard Turpin and Audra Adeline Hinthorn, he was the grandson of Henry W. Turpin.  He married Nancy Leona Turney in 1891 and Martha Frances Huffington in 1897.

Martha Ellen, the Fourth Child

Martha was the infant child of Newt and Elizabeth who died tragically.  The story is that she was bitten by a mad dog. Martha was born 18 March 1851. I’m not sure where.  She died at the age of 10 months.  If the story is correct, it would place her death in mid-January 1852.  I have not found a gravesite for Martha. 

Where does one look for more information on a child that had such a short life?  I need to start with the family timeline and see if I can determine where the family lived at that point in time.