Remembrances of Robert Newton Turpin from "Families of Rippey"

These remembrances were passed on to the descendants of the Turpin Family living in Greene County, Iowa.  It provides us information about Newt and the family that can not be verified by primary sources.

“Families of Rippey", 1990 reprint of the 1956 "History of Rippey”

From page 106

Newton Turpen -- One of the earliest settlers of Washington Township, Greene county, Iowa, was the Newton Turpen family who settled here in 1855. Newton Turpen was born near Richmond, Virginia, June 10, 1821, and his wife, Elizabeth Lowry Turpen, was born there on January 13, 1823. They spent their youth near Richmond and were married at an early age. Early in her life Elizabeth’s father had become a slave holder, over the protests of his wife. Thus, Elizabeth, agreeing with her mother, was raised with a secret hatred of slavery.

After their marriage her dislike for slavery and her husband’s longing for a new country led them to decide to come west, so they packed their few possessions and came to Indiana by wagon train. Here they lived for some time before moving to Illinois. Not seeming to do as well financially as they wished, they again decided to move -- this time to Iowa. When their youngest child was three weeks old, they loaded their goods into wagons and set out. This was a long, hard journey, marked by the tragedy of Newton Turpen’s mother dying and being buried in a lonely grave by the wayside. They came by way of Des Moines, then a small fort, and on across country to Greene County where they built their first log house on the farm in northwest Washington Township. This farm is now owned by their granddaughter, Mrs. Ocy Dorris. Later Mr. Turpen bought a farm about a half a mile west and lived there. Besides breaking the prairie sod and farming, Newton Turpen served as blacksmith in the pioneer settlement. Mrs. Turpen spent long hours of the day at her loom weaving cloth from the wool they had taken from their own sheep. The children of the family spent many lonely days on the prairie guarding the sheep from he wolves that were always ready to prey upon them. It was not unusual for him to load what produce they might have to sell into the wagon and make the long overland trip to Des Moines to sell the produce and bring back supplies. Newton and Elizabeth Turpen raised a family of eight children, 7 daughters and one son.

The only son, Thomas Benton Turpen enlisted in the army when Lincoln called for volunteers in 1861. He was among 32 volunteers from Greene County. His brief military record on file in the State Adjutant General’s Office showed that he enlisted in Co. H., 10th Inf., Iowa Vol., August 23, 1861, was mustered into service September 7, and died of measles on December 25, 1861, on his 18th birthday. He was buried in the National Cemetery near Mound City, Illinois. Although the exact grave has not been found, officials state that he must have been buried in one of the many marked unknown. Elizabeth Lowery Turpen passed away January 26, 1872, and was buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Newton Turpen moved on west to Nebraska and was buried there.

Of this large family, only [Louise] Annie, who married Wm. Turpen, and Emmazetta, who married John Groves, remained in Washington Township to raise their families and spend their lives. The other daughters were: Margaret who married Wilson Van Horn, Sally [Sarah Jane] married Warfield Paul, [Mary] Amanda married Wm. Porter, [Nancy] Elizabeth married Joe Bell and Hannah [Catherine] married Douglas Bell.

Warfield and Sarah Paul Obituaries from Jan Hensley

Sarah Jane Turpin Paul tombstone in Franklin Twp Cemetery of Greene County, IA

Warfield Paul tombstone in Franklin Twp Cemetery of Greene County, IA

Warfield Paul's Life
Exemplary Citizen is Gone
End Comes After Week's Severe Illness at His Home in Jefferson on Wednesday

Warfield Paul, resident of Greene county for about seventy years, died at his home shortly after six o'clock last Wednesday evening. He had been seriously ill for about a week with diseases incident to old age. The funeral was held on Friday, with services at the M. E. church in Cooper at 2 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Swick, of Jefferson. Interment in the Cooper cemetery.

Warfield Paul was a native of Old Virginia, having been born on August 7, 1851, and passed away at his home in Jefferson January 23, 1929, having lived more than 77 years.

His mother died when he was a baby, and he was raised by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Hall. They moved west and settled a mile southwest of Rippey when Warfield was a small boy.  Mr. and Mrs. Hall were the parents of J. B. Hall, or "Brown" Hall, as he was familiarly known in later years, Mrs. H. R. Myers and Mrs. Philip Lock, former residents of Green county, were aunts of Mr. Paul.

He was married on December 22, 1871, to Miss Sarah Turpin, who was a daughter of Newt Turpin, one of Greene county's early residents. They went to housekeeping on a farm about a mile west of what was formerly the Brand school house in west Washington township. With the exception of one year they resided in Nebraska, in the late "seventies," all their married life was spent in Greene county.

To them were born four children, one of whom died in infancy. The surviving children are: Mrs. Ella Paul Morden and John Paul, both of Jefferson and Dolly Paul Wiggins, of Cooper.

Owing to failing health Mr. and Mrs. Paul moved to Jefferson eight years ago. Here they have formed a highly honored part of Jefferson's citizenship. Mr. Paul became a member of the United Brethren church 42 years ago, having joined that body during the pastorate of Rev. Hicks, who conducted services at the Union school house, east of Cooper. He remained devoted to the beliefs and ideals as taught in the Holy Bible, and his life has been an exemplification of his faith. He was careful in speech, quiet in demeanor, never given to anger, and to know him was to be his warm friend. He made it his daily duty to be honorable in all his dealings, faithful to friends and to his God, and leaving to earth a record for devotion and service that is rarely equalled. He never held public office, but did his part as a man and citizen to make the world a better place to live in. He was a member of the Modern Woodman lodge, and the members of this order, together with countless, friends, and also those near and dear to him, now sorrow deeply at his passing.

He is survived by his wife, and his children mentioned above, and 23 grand children and great grand children.

Jefferson Bee, January 30, 1929, Page 1

Death of Mrs. W. Paul
Occurred at Home Saturday

Highly Respected Lady Answers Final
Summons After Long Illness,—
Funeral Held Monday.

Mrs. Warfield Paul, one of the community's oldest and most highly respected citizens died at her home in this city Saturday afternoon from illness incident to her advanced age.  Services were held at the Methodist church in Cooper Monday afternoon in charge of Rev. W. J. Fowler of Jefferson.  Burial was in the Franklin township cemetery.

Sarah Jane Turprn, daughter of Newton and Elizabeth Turpen, was born October 9, 1848, in Indiana. She come to Greene county, Iowa, at the age of six years and has made this county her home since that time with the exception of one year spent in Nebraska.

On December 22, 1871, she was married to Warfield Paul. They went to housekeeping on a farm a mile west of what was formerly the Brand school house in west Washington township, To Mr. and Mrs, Paul were born four children, one of whom died in infancy.  The surviving are Mrs. Ella Morden and John Paul, both of Jefferson, and Mrs. Dolly Wiggins of Cooper.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul moved to Jefferson fourteen years ago, where Mr. Paul preceded his wife in death on January 23, 1929. Mrs. Paul was a member of the United Brethren church, having united with that faith in Cooper in young womanhood. She leaves suriving her three children, twelve grandchildren, fifteen great grandchildren besides other relatives and many friends.

Jefferson Bee, March 5, 1935, Page 1.

Warfield Paul, Husband of Sarah Jane Turpin

I received a comment this week from Jan Hensley regarding my blog post of  "Sarah Jane Turpin, Third Child".  Jan has had a breakthrough on her research of Warfield Paul, the son of J. M. Paul and Matilda Hall.
  
If you recall, Sarah Jane was the third child of Robert Newton Turpin and Sarah Elizabeth Lowery.   She was born in Owen County, Indiana on 9 October 1848 and moved with the family to Illinois and then to Iowa.   There she met her husband Warfield Paul.

Jan tells us that Warfield Paul is an interesting project, "After years of repeating hitting my head against the wall, I'm happy to be able to FINALLY shed light on it. Warfield was the grandson of John Hall & Elvira Smith Hall and his [Paul's] mother, Sarah Matilda died when he was an infant.   His grandparents were his guardians and they loaded him on the oxen cart, along with their children (save one - my 3rd great grandmother who was already married) when they headed West in the 1850s."

Jan continues to say that Warfield's great great grandfather Jacob Smith was a Revolutionary War soldier.   Jacob was one of about 2,000 trops with General George Washington when he crossed the Delaware for the Battle of Trenton.  

For more on Jacob:  www.jacobandwinnasmith.weebly.com.

Thank You Julie!

This is a good way to end the year--a photo of some of the sisters in the first Robert Newton Turpin family.

A big thanks to Julie Gerren, another Turpin researcher, who remembered she had an old photo of these ladies. This picture is probably taken between 1926-1935.

Noted on the back -- left to right:  Emma Zetta, Sarah Jane, and Hannah Catherine

Emma Zetta (#7) 1858-1936 
Born in Greene County, Iowa.  She married John Abraham Groves.  

Sarah Jane (#3) 1848-1935
Born in Owen County, Indiana. She married Warfield Paul.

Hannah Catherine (#9) 1864-April 1939
Born in Greene County, Iowa.  She married Douglas Bell.

In trying to calculate when this photo was taken, it helps to know that sisters Margaret Golden (#2) died in 1926, Martha Ellen (#4) died as an infant, Louise Anne (#5) died in 1880, Mary Amanda (#6) in 1912.  Nancy Elizabeth (#8) lived until December 1939 but is not in the photo; perhaps too ill to get together with the rest of the sisters. 

Sarah Jane Turpin, Third Child

Sarah Jane was the third child of Robert Newton Turpin and Sarah Elizabeth Lowery.  She was born 9 October 1848 in Owen County, Indiana. The family moved to Illinois and then Iowa where Sarah met Warfield Paul who was a neighbor.  

According to Past and Present of Greene County, Iowa by E.B. Stillman, Warfield lived with the John and Alvina Hall family.  The 1860 census of Rippey, Washington Township, Greene County, Iowa shows the Halls and the Turpins as neighbors. Like the Turpins, the Hall family members were natives of Virginia.  The "do" that you see on some lines means "ditto"  --