Granville W. Turner

GRANVILLE W. TURNER.

To be employed nearly a half century by one linn, continuously, is a record ol which few citizens id Springfield and Greene county can boast, but Granville. Turner has been connected with the bridge building department of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company since 1866, and for forty years has been in charge of that department. He would not onl\ have had to proved himself to be an expert in his line, but also a man of courage, fidelity, integrity and industry to have been retained during so long a period, I te 1- one of the most widely known Frisco employees. He is a man who has always valued his good name and today takes pleasure in feeling that he has won the respect of his fellow workers and acquaintances by his course in life.

Mr. Turner was born in Knox count) Missouri, January 3, 1843. He is a son of Granville D. and Maria (Taylor) Turner. The father was born in the mountains of Kentucky and the mother was a native of Ohio, but she came to Harrison county, Kentucky, when young. These parents were married in Quincy, Illinois. Our subject's father and the first governor of Illinois came to Quincy together. Mr. Turner became a large land owner. He was a cabinet maker by trade. Leaving the Prairie state in an early day, he located in Knox county, Missouri and he and his wife died in this state. He was a minister in the Christian church, an old-time circuit rider, and preached among the pioneers. Politically, he was a Democrat. I lis family consisted of nine children, named as follows: The eldest child died in infancy; William is deceased; Mary; Emma; Granville W., of this sketch; James, deceased; Reuben, deceased; George and May E.

Mr. Turner of this review received a limited education in the common schools, and he grew up on the farm in Knox count) where he worked when a boy. He has worked hard and is a self-made man in the best sense of the term. In his youth he learned the carpenter's trade. In September, 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, at Rolla, Missouri, under Captain Rich and Colonel Phelps, and although his term of enlistment was but for six months, he served nine months, lie saw considerable service during that brief period, including a number of skirmishes and the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas. He was honorably discharged in April, 186.2, then went to work for the government, building pontoon bridges, corrals, barracks, coffins, etc. He continued in this work until the close of the war, gaining valuable experience which stood him well in hand in his subsequent career. He began work for the Frisco at Rolla in 1866. in the bridge building department, with which he has been connected ever since, being head of the department for the system for some four decades. In 1913 he was retired by the company on a pension. However, he is still doing special work in his department, reporting direct to the general manager. He long ago mastered every phase of the art of bridge building and has kept well abreast of the times in this line of endeavor.

Mr. Turner was first married in June, 1879, to Malissa Trower, in St. Louis, her native city. She was a daughter of Samuel Trower, a farmer and stock raiser, a pioneer of the Mound City, where, for a number of years, he was justice of the peace, also holding other minor offices. Mr. Turner's first wife died October 10, 1889. leaving five children, namely: Walter G. married Gertrude Singleton in St. Louis and he is a civil engineer by profession; Mary Agnes married Mr. Greenridge and they live in Douglas,

As printed in Past and present of Greene County Missouri; early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens (1915). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.