L.J. AND MARGARET TURNER

The following bio was taken from page 417 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

L.J. and I were both born and raised in Rusk County and have spent most of our lives here with our families. My grandparents on my mother’s side were George Washington and Maggie Hays. They lived in the Harper Community and were farmers. They had six children: Homer, Vera, Mable, Douglas, Ocie, and Bessie Hays. After grandmother’s death, my grandfather married Dicie Cost Adamson. Her two sons by Mr. Adamson are Fred and R.V. Adamson. Later my grandparents had two daughters, Doris and Betty Jo Hays. Both of my grandparents died when Doris and Betty Jo were still very young, and they went to live with their mother’s sister in Oklahoma and later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Betty Jo still lives there with her husband, Homer Sherwood, and their five children. Doris married Robin Imes, and they moved from Portland, Oregon to Garland, Texas where they still reside with their son, Larry and a new grandson.

My grandparents on my father’s side were Edgar L. and May Gibson. They lived in the Bethel Community and later moved to Crims Chapel. They were also farmers. To them were born eight children: Forest L., Weldon, Winnie, Ruby, Opal, Martha, L.D. and Edna. My parents were Forest L. (Pete) and Bessie Gibson. I have three sisters—Mildred, Mary Nell, and Gladys Marie (Tege)—and two brothers, Mack (deceased) and Mike Gibson. My father was sheriff of Rusk County in 1960-1964. He died in October, 1964 just before his term expired.

L.J.’s parents were Arthur L. and Mattie Lou Turner. L.J. was their only son, and his three sisters are--Annie Evelyn, Marie (deceased), and Mozelle. His grandparents on his father’s side were Ben and Nora Turner. One of their daughters died as an infant, and the other died as a teenager. The two sons were Arthur L. and Horace B. Turner. Ben Turner and his two sons owned and operated Turner’s Cotton Gin for many years. They lived about four and one-half miles southwest of Henderson in the Hickey Community. L.J.’s maternal grandparents were Elisah and Jennis Ellis. They lived in the Grandview Community and raised ten children.

I was born in 1925 and attended school at Minden and Henderson, where I graduated in 1943. L.J. was born in 1921 and attended the Henderson Public Schools. He served with the armed forces in Germany during World War II. When the war ended in Germany, he was sent to the Philippine Islands and remained there until the war ended. After his discharge from the army, we were married on January 20, 1947. We are members of the First Baptist Church, Henderson, Texas.

L.J. and I have three children-Bradford Lee (Skipper), Judy Kay, and Leesa Jane Turner. Skipper is married to the former Patty Pool, daughter of Ralph and Margie Pool. They have a daughter, Ashly Lee, age six months, and a son, Landon Judson (Jud), age one and one-half years. Judy is married to Tommy L. Jarrell, son of Lewis and Lillar Jarell. Their son is Kevin Lewis, , who is nine years old. The Jarrells all live in the Minden area. Our youngest daughter, Leesa Jane, is married to Billy D. Dudley. They live in Tyler with their three children—Kim, age fourteen; Traci, age eleven; and Billy, age ten.

I have worked for the past seventeen years for the Rusk County Tax Collector, Tommy Haskins, Jr. L.J. was in the cotton gin business for many years. He owned and operated a gin in Fairfield, Texas and also one in Raymondville, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. After selling both cotton gins, he went into the trucking business and later started Henderson Patio and Awning Company.

Submitted by Margaret Gibson Turner.