[page 216] Mrs Sarah M. Turner, residing in Coin, has many warm friends in the town and throughout this part of the county. She is the widow of William H. Turner, who was born in Vinton county, Ohio, August 3, 1842, and was a son of Andrew and Mary (Dixon) Turner, who were early settlers of Vinton county. the father was a miller by trade and during the boyhood of his son William he was accidentally killed in a grist mill, so that William Turner had to assume the burden and responsibilities of supporting the family, managing the property interests and attending to the farm, for he was the eldest son. There were seven children: Nancy and Amy, both deceased; Sarah; William H.; David; Mary J. and Andrew, who have also passed away. The mother died in 1862.

Soon after the death of the father the family removed to Stark county, Illinois, and there William H. Turner attended the public schools. He was a farmer throughout his entire life, which was a busy and useful one, his labors being crowned with a creditable measure of success. After arriving at years of maturity he married Miss Sarah M. Fantz, who was born in Stark county, Illinois, and was a daughter of George and Sallie (Springer) Fantz. Her father was born in Baden, Germany, and when thirteen years of age came to the United States with his parents, Michael and Elizabeth Fantz. They settled in Ohio, near Columbus, where the grandfather rented land, he and his wife spending their remaining days there. George Fantz and a younger brother then removed to Illinois, settling in Stark [pages 217/218 are a picture] [page 219] county, where they purchased land. They traveled westward with a family in a covered wagon and Mr Fantz became identified with agricultural interests in Stark county, where he continued to engage in general farming until his death in November, 1888. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Sallie Springer, was born in Pennsylvania and was a daughter of George and Elizabeth Springer, early settlers of the Keystone state. Later they became residents of Illinois. Unto Mr and Mrs George Fantz were born twelve children: John, who is now living in California; Elizabeth, the deceased wife of Richard Hare; Pollie, the wife of Joseph Armantrout, living at Duncan, Illinois; Noah, who died in Andersonville prison during the Civil war; Andrew, who died in Arkansas; Catherine, deceased; Lavina, the deceased wife of Wallace Steele; Mrs Turner; Henry, who has also passed away; David, who is living in Atchison county, Missouri; Ellen, the wife of Arthur Wheeler, of Ellenwood, Stark county, Illinois; and Martha, the wife of Thomas Standard, whose home is in Pomona, California.

Mrs Turner was reared in the county of her nativity, where she remained until nineteen years of age and during her girlhood days she mastered the branches of learning taught in the district schools. She was married in Stark county, Illinois, May 31, 1868, and for a year they remained in that county, after which they removed to Iowa [sic, Missouri] , settling in Nodaway county. A year was there passed, at the end of which time they went to Atchison county, Missouri, where they purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land. Upon that place they lived for nine years, when they sold their property there and returned to Illinois, settling in Peoria county where Mr Turner purchased two hundred acres of land. Through the succeeding decade his time and energies were devoted to the cultivation and improvement of that property and on the expiration of that period they disposed of their interests in Illinois and in December, 1888, came to Page county, Iowa, settling just west of Northboro, where they purchased one hundred and sixty acres. Upon that farm they lived until 1899, when they again sold out and removed to the vicinity of Shenandoah, purchasing the old John Ross farm of one hundred and sixty acres. While living upon that place Mr Turner died on the 13th of August, 1907, his remains being interred in the Blanchard cemetery. Recently Mrs Turner has sold the farm for one hundred and forty dollars per acre. Following her husband's death, she removed to Coin in 1907 and has since made her home in the town.

Unto Mr and Mrs Turner were born nine children: Mary, the eldest, is the wife of Peter Currey, living at Hopkins, Missouri. Hattie became the wife of Otto Miller, a resident of Oklahoma, and died in March, 1907, at the age of thirty-seven years, leaving two children--Andrew and Fred. Virgil O. married Hattie McGarry and resides at Vivian, South Dakota, with his wife and two sons--Olin and Virgil. Delia is an accomplished young lady who resides at home with her mother, to whom she is most devoted; Alice is the wife of Mark Bloom, who resides on a farm formerly owned by Mrs Turner near Shenandoah, and they had four children, of whom Lyman and Glenda are living, while Otto and Melvin are deceased. Andrew married Maud McCord and with their two sons, Marvin and Tal, they reside at Coin. Marvin, who married Grace McGarry and has one son, Edward, makes his home near Blanchard, Iowa. Richard died at the age of four years and one child died in infancy.

Mrs Turner is a member of the Methodist church and in past years took an active and helpful interest in its work. She first became a resident of Iowa in 1868 and has lived in Page county since 1888. In the intervening years she has become widely known and her many good qualities have won her a host of warm friends.