US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

The FirJt Thirty Years 3
moved to Oregon after the Civil War, during which his mother had died.’
His brothe~ Thomas was a printer on the Portland Oregoniav. On 2 July
1867, Enoch married Laura Francis Kelly ‘ in East Portland. He was 24 and
a school teacher at the time. The tradition of large families was carried on
by Enoch Turner and Laura Kelly. Grandfather Samuel Kelly had had
12 children and the Clinton Kellys 13. Great grandfather John Turner also
had had 12, and in turn, his son, John Turner, had had nine children.
Eighteen years after the marriage, on 27 May 1885, Richmond Kelly
Turner was born in East Portland, C)regon, the seventh of eight children,
three boys and five girls. Grandfather John Turner was 85 when this grand-
son was born. He was to see the young alligator when, in the next year, he
persuaded his son, Enoch, to return to California to help him run his ranch
near Woodville, which was becoming a burden because of his years.
Surviving portraits and other data of the Turner clan show their physical
characteristics to have been an upright and spare physique, with straight black
or brown hair, dark eyes and an occasional hooked nose. In general, they
were tough physically and long-lived, the first one transplanted from
England reputedly having hung on until reaching the age of 104 ( 1760).
John Turner died in 1891 at age 91; ‘ his oldest son James at 102; 7 but
his son Enoch, Admiral Turner’s father, died in 1923 at a young 80.8
The 19th century Turners were a severe clan. They raised their children
in the tradition of “Spare the rod, and spoil the child.” They were always
moving westward toward more primitive living conditions. As farmers and
ranchers, they battled nature for long, long hours each day, and with very
few mechanical assists. These stern conditions left a mark on the Twentieth
Century Turners.
Enoch Turner believed in the value of education and stressed it to his
children, Five of the seven, who reached adulthood, prepared for and taught
school. One taught for 50 years, another for 37. Since every naval officer is
constantly schooling young Americans, it can be added that the youngest
son, Richmond Kelly, also was in education for 40 years. For the urge to
master knowledge was ingrained in this youngest son from as early as he
could remember.g
43 March 1863, French Camp, California, 3 miles west of Turner, California.
‘ Born 15 March 1847. Died Anaheim, California, 13 October 1918.
e 22 December 189I, Woodville, Tulare County, California.
‘ 18 October 1932, Turner’s Station, California.
816 November 1923, San Diego, California. Buried Parkview Cemetery, Stockton, California.
“ Interviews with Admiral Richard K. Turner, USN (Ret.), Monterey, California, Mar. 1960.
Hereafter Turner.