DeTURK FAMILY.

File set up by RKW.

List of letters remaining unclaimed in the Winfield Post Office June 18, 1878, include A. DeTurk.

Courier, APRIL 17, 1879.

Mr. A. DeTurk, of Pleasant Valley township, has one of the finest farms in Cowley County. Mr. DeTurk came here about a year ago from Indiana, bought land in Pleasant Valley, paying $2,300 for 140 acres, built a house, granary, and other buildings, costing about $3,000, and is making other very substantial improvements. He has one of the finest vineyards in the country, a splendid bearing orchard, fine hedges, and everything in first-class order.

Courier, JULY 31, 1879. According to previous arrangement the citizens of Pleasant Valley township and vicinity met at Odessa school house for the purpose of organizing a stock protective union. The following officers of Bolton Stock Protective Union were elected: Captain, C. C. Pierce; 1st Lieut., R. C. Devore; 2nd Lieut., Wm. P. Hostetler; Orderly Sergeant, E. T. Green; General Messengers, S. B. Hunt and A. DeTurk.

TRAVELER, JUNE 1, 1881. SPECIAL NOTICE. The next regular meeting of the Pleasant Valley S. P. U.'s will be held at the Odessa schoolhouse, on June 7th. All members are requested to be present, as business of importance will be transacted.

C. J. BRANE, O. S.

A. DeTurk, Capt.

Courier, AUGUST 11, 1881. Mr. Chas. O. DeTurk and Miss Lena B. Huff were married by Rev. Rigby at the residence of the bride's father in Pleasant Valley township Sunday evening. The couple left for California, where they will in future reside.

(Note: Miss Linna B. Huff is buried in Riverview Cemetery. The stone reads; Miss Linna B. Huff, wife of Chas. O. DeTurk, born July 25, 1861, and died February 1, 1900—RKW)

Winfield Courier, January 17, 1884. The first leap year party of Odessa was given by Miss Louie Martin and Miss Mattie DeTurk at the residence of S. G. Martin, on Tuesday evening, January 8th. The evening was exceptionally fine and the spirits of all in harmony with the occasion. At half past eleven an excellent supper was served of the luuxuries of the season.

The following is a list of a few present. Misses Louie Martin, Mattie DeTurk, Nettie Crawford, Mammie VanCleve, Lucy Henderson, Emma Hunt, Cora and Hattie Martin, Mr. and Mrs. William Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. DeTurk, Kate DeTurk and Lizzie Martin; Messrs. Larby Henderson, W. P. Beaumont, Frank Crawford, Stephen McCullum, Oscar DeTurk, Geo. Hunt, Ike DeTurk, B. Crisp, Owen McCollum, and Lewis Yount, and others whose names we did not get. The evening was a pleasant one and everyone went home rejoicing.

M. S.

Arkansas City Republican, February 14, 1885. The following are the officers elected at the township elections, held last week in townships surrounding Creswell.

Pleasant Valley Township: D. S. Sherrard, trustee; F. A. Chapin, clerk; A. DeTurk, treasurer.

Arkansas City Republican, August 29, 1885. The sixteen-year-old son of A. DeTurk, of Pleasant Valley, got a bad injury Wednesday evening. He was hauling water to a thresher in a barrel. The barrel upset and threw him under the horses’ feet. A horse stepped on his head, fracturing his skull. Dr. Emerson raised the skull and took out the splinters, and he may recover. He is unconscious and very dangerously hurt. Winfield Courier.

Courier, September 3, 1885. Isaac De Turk, of whose horrible accident we have made mention several times; died yesterday at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. De Turk, in the Parsonage addition. He was but sixteen years old, a bright, ambitious boy, and his death is one of the saddiest—a very hard blow to the family. It will be remembered that he was thrown from a water sled several weeks ago, while hauling water to a thresher near the Grange Hall, south of town. He was either kicked by one of the horses or struck a projection with great force, as the skull of his left forehead was crushed in making a hole the size of a silver dollar. The skull was replaced and everything possible done to relieve, but death was inevitable. Up to last Thursday he talked intelligently at times and hopes were entertained, then his tongue became paralyzed, though he was conscious most of the time up to a few hours before death.The brains oozed out of the apeture in quantities, and his retaining consciounsness is a mystery. The funeral was held at four o’clock from the residence, conducted by Rev. Reider, and was attended by many sympathizing friends. Such a sorrow touches the deepest chord of erery soul, causing it to reflect its kindliest words and thoughts of condolence. The remains were buried in the south (Highland) cemetery. (Note—There was no stone placed in Highland Cemetery.—RKW)

Arkansas City Republican, August 7, 1886. Baird & DeTurk is the new firm succeeding I. R. Deming & Son in the grocery business. They are nice gentlemen and the REPUBLICAN wishes them success.

Arkansas City Republican, October 9, 1886.

Mrs. J. D. DeTurk is reported quite sick with an attack of fever.

Arkansas City Traveler, October 13, 1886. Mrs. DeTurk has been seriously ill with typhoid for some time, and her condition remains unimproved.

Courier, February 9, 1900. Mrs. Lona DeTurk, wife of Charles DeTurk, died last Thursday evening and was buried in the Arkansas City cemetery Sunday. Rev. Moore of Arkansas City preached the funeral at the home of the family Sunday morning. Mrs. DeTurk had been in poor health the past two or three years and there had been no hopes of her recovery for the last six months, making her’s a lingering death. She was the youngest daughter of Isaac Huff and was thirty-nine years of age at the time of her death. For fourteen years of her life she has been a member of the Baptist church, which was a consoling thought to her when she knew she must soon try the realities of the spirit life. She leaves a husband and two daughters to mourn the loss of a patient loving mother and faithful wife. The daughters are about ten and sixteen years of age and have three aunts, (Mrs. R. B. Baird, Mrs. E. Armstrong, Mrs. G. Armstead.) sisters of the deceased, to comfort them and help the father to guide and direct their future life. The bereaved family have the sympathies of many friends in this locality. (Note—The stone in Riverview cemetery reads “Miss Linna B. Huff, wife of Chas. O. Deturk, born July 25, 1861, and died February 1, 1900.” There is no stone for Chas. O. DeTurk. —RKW)

Arkansas City Republican, March 19, 1887. C. O. DeTurk and family are moving into their new residence in the 4th ward today.

The Cowley County Heritage book, on page 119, reported that following the death of A.DeTurk and his wife, whose maiden name was Huff, Robert Baird and his wife Mollie Huff Baird took their young daughters to raise and educate. Their names were Mabel and Ruth. Mabel DeTurk married Ornie Lewis and had two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth. Ruth O. DeTurk was a long time teacher of mathematics in the Winfield High School and never married. She retired from teaching in 1951.

Courier, April 15, 1971. Funeral services for Miss Ruth O. DeTurk were held at 2 p.m.. Wednesday, at the First Baptist Church with the Rev. John Blythe officiating. Miss Marilyn Buffum was the organist.

Pallbearers were Cecil Coffey, Joe Pray, Floyd King, Howard Sloan, Joe Everly and Merle Daggett.

Burial was in the Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City with the Swisher-Taylor Funeral Home in charge. (NOTE—Her stone reads; Ruth O. DeTurk, born October 29, 1889, died April 11, 1971. Her stone is in the next space north of her mother, Miss Linna B. Huff.—RKW)

In adjacent spaces are the stones for Robert B. Baird, born 5/22/1853 and died 12/9/1939 and Mrs. Robert B. Baird, born 2/14/1853 and died 8/7/1942.

LAND OFFICE AT WICHITA, KANSAS, January 29, 1884.

NOTICE is hereby given that the following named settler has filed notice of his intention to make final proof in support of his claim, and that said proof will be made before S. L. Gilbert, Notary Public at Winfield, Kansas, on March 12, 1884, viz: Mattie DeTurk for the w ½ of s w qr and sw qr of n w qr sec 34 and ne qr s e qr sec 33, tp 33, range 5 e. He names the following witnesses to prove his continuous residence upon, and cultivation of, said land, viz: R. A. McKenna, J. C. Corbin, A. H. Miller, and S. G. Martin, all of Winfield, Cowley County, Kas. R. L. WALKER, Register.