The following information about Victor Noir Turpin, a son of Thomas James Turpin and Ellmandia Kennerly Turpin, was gathered and assembled by me, a great grand niece, over a period of time from 2006 through this 21st day of January 2010. As more records and newspapers are scanned and become available on the Internet, this information can be expanded.
The information was gathered from www.genealogybank.com; www.archive.org; www.footnote.com; www.ancestry.com; www.worldvitalrecords.com; www.findagrave.com; the Carl Julian Turpin collection at the Western History Library at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma; a copy of a letter from my paternal grandfather to his sister in which he refers to Victor‘s widow, Margaret; and information from the Turpin Family Tree compiled by paternal great aunt. Thanks to my father, a great nephew of Victor Noir Turpin, for his continuing interest in this project, and for providing copies of the picture from which the above image was cropped and the letter from Milton Ashby Turpin to Ella Turpin Person.
Rather than presenting the information in a narrative form, it is presented for your consideration in a chronological order.
Excerpt of letter from Ellmandia Kennerly Turpin to her son Austin Caleb Turpin, dated 19 Sep 1888, Quantico (Maryland).
“Victor too has been at work. You never saw a boy grow as fast as he does. He is constituted just like Willie (William Upshur Turpin, a brother of Victor‘s). His lips give him much trouble, is now taking Forbes Solution.””
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Fort Worth Mail-Telegram 28 Jul 1902
“Victor N. Turpin Has Gone to Wed.
“Victor N. Turpin, city passenger and ticket agent for the Rock Island lines left Saturday night for Coldwater, Mich., where he will wed Miss Paddock. Mr. Turpin and bride will return to Fort Worth Sunday next.”
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The Dallas Morning News, 05 Jul 1905
“Died in Michigan. Special to the News.
Fort Worth, Tex., July 4 -- News has been received here of the death of Mrs. V. N. Turpin, the wife of the city ticket agent of the Rock Island lines, at Coldwater, Mich., last night. Mrs. Turpin had been ill for some time and was taken to Coldwater, her old home, for a surgical operation. Mr. Turpin left this morning for that point to attend the funeral.”
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The Fort Worth Telegram 06 Jul 1905
“Mrs. Turpin Dies
Victor N. Turpin, city ticket agent of the Rock Island railroad, received a message Tuesday stating that his wife had died at Coldwater, Mich. He left for Coldwater immediately. Mrs. Turpin left Fort Worth about two weeks ago for her Michigan home to undergo an operation. She died at the home of her parents."
The first wife of Victor Noir Turpin, Lola Silence Paddock, was the daughter of Bryan D. and Harriet Paddock of Branch County, Michigan. She graduated from Coldwater High School, Coldwater, Michigan, in 1889. She attended the University of Michigan for two years, transferring to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 1892. Lola is listed as the founder of Nebraska Lambda-Pi at the University of Nebraska in “A Paragraph History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon from the Founding of the Fraternity to the Present time” by William C. Levere (1916) and available at www.archive.org. According to Arthur J. Tuttle with the Michigan Iota-Beta, Lola‘s initials “LP” were chosen thus Lambda-Pi. (Page 72 of previously cited publication.) Lola was a teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska beginning in 1894 through to her marriage to Victor in July, 1902. Her name appears frequently in two Lincoln newspapers from that time period.
It was in Lincoln, Nebraska that 30 year old Lola met 26 year old Victor Noir Turpin as evidenced by the following article:
Nebraska State Journal, 19 Feb 1899
“Society
Friday evening Miss Lola Paddock entertained her friends at the home of Mrs. Ed Green, 1336 R street. Progressive euchre* furnished the entertainment. The royal prize, a water color, was won by Mr. Turpin. The booby prize, a box of chocolates, by Miss Wirt. The guests were Professor and Mrs. Fling, Mr. and Mrs. Will Green, Misses Wirt, Morgan, Clark, Deweese, Hammond, Hoover, Graham, Getner, Macfarland, Kirker, Douglas; Messrs. Whitmore, Turpin, Pancoast, Whipple, Mattson, Haggard, Paine, Marlay, Sheldon, Davidson, Clark, Kennard.”
*According to www.ehow.com, Progressive Euchre is a fast-paced card game played mainly by four people, broken down into two teams of two. Progressive euchre is a way of playing the game with multiple tables of players in a tournament. It is played with A-K-Q-J-10-9 of the four suits. With four players, five cards are dealt. After bidding to make the trick, trump is named and one team has to win at least three of five tricks, while the opponent team tries to stop them. After each round, partners change.
An additional two sources show Victor being in Lincoln, Nebraska at the same time. I finally located Victor in the 1900 US Census. He is living in Lincoln, Nebraska, listed on the census as “Viola N. Turpin, female!” The birthday is the same and when scrolling over for the occupation, “stenographer” is shown. He is living at a boarding house and there are two other people boarding there that work for the railroad. I think there must have been an error in the census. The Hoyes 1899 and 1900 Directory for Lincoln, Nebraska, shows “Turpin, Victor N., Opr. C., R.I.&P. Ry. 20th cor. O, rms 231, s. 15th.“ This is the same address where “Viola N. Turpin” is living on the 1900 US Census. (I read an article in a genealogy magazine that cautioned that the U.S. Census reports can have errors. It is depends on the individual gathering the information and putting it on forms. Or perhaps it was just the Turpin sense of humor shining through!) In any event, I am certain this is Victor. I have been searching for him in 1900 for some time. Finally, I clicked on Viola because everything else matched: the initials V. N. Turpin, the birthplaces of the parents, and the month and year of birth. Viola is Victor.
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Dallas Morning-News, 7 Aug 1907
"Turpin-Loving Wedding
Special to the News.
Fort Worth, Tex., Aug. 6 - V. N. Turpin, city passenger and ticket agent for the Rock Island and Mrs. Margaret Loving were married at the home of the bride, 1523 Cooper Street, at 8 o'clock this morning by Rev. B. B. Ramage. A. C. Turpin and wife of Toronto, Canada, and C. J. Turpin and wife of Springfield, Mo., brothers of the groom were present. After a wedding breakfast was served the bride and groom left for a trip to Salt Lake City. They will be at home at 1523 Cooper street to their friends after Sept. 1."
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Dallas Morning News, 11 Aug 1907
Fort Worth Society
“Turpin-Loving Wedding; Marriage Ceremony is read by Rev. B. B. Ramage at the Home of the Bride
Mrs. Margaret Loving and V. N. Turpin were married Wednesday morning at the home of the bride, 1523 Cooper street, Rev. B. B. Ramage officiating. Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Turpin of Toronto and Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Turpin of Springfield, Mo., were present and a few other relatives. After an elaborate wedding breakfast Mr. and Mrs. Turpin left for a trip to Salt Lake City. They will be at home to their friends, 1523 Cooper Street, after Sept. 1.”
Dallas Morning News 29 Sep 1909
“Fort Worth Railway Notes - Special to the News
Fort Worth, Tex., Sept. 28
. . .C. J. Turpin, agent for the Rock Island at Clinton, Ok., is in the city on account of the serious illness of his brother, Vic Turpin, city ticket agent of the same road at this place. Mr. Turpin is reported slightly improved."
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 04 Jul 1911
“Child Burned to Death by Explosion of Oil
Heat Causes Kerosene to Ignite, Catching Clothing of Margaret Turpin
A can of kerosene exploding from the heat of the sun was responsible for the death of little Margaret Turpin, the 12 year old daughter of V. N. Turpin, city ticket and passenger agent of the Rock Island railroad, Monday evening. The child was playing on the back porch of the family residence, 1523 Cooper street, when the can exploded, enveloping her in a mass of flames. Her mother, standing in the kitchen, saw the child just after her clothing caught fire, but the porch having also caught could not reach her for intervening flames. With rare presence of mind she ran through the house and around to the rear. The child, her clothing still blazing, ran into her mother's arm, sobbing and almost unconscious. The mother extinguished the flames.
A physician was called at once, but there was no chance for the child to recover, and three hours later she died in terrible pain. There was no portion of the little girl's body that was not burned.
For a time the house was threatened by fire, but a negro woman employed at the Turpin residence extinguished it.
The funeral was conducted Tuesday afternoon from the First Congregational Church, Rev. George W. Ray officiating. Interment was made in Oakwood."
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I do not believe the child, Margaret Loving Turpin, was the natural born daughter of Victor. According to her death certificate available on footnote.com, Margaret, the child, was born in 1901 in Texas. Victor and Margaret Loving the elder did not marry until 1907. On the death certificate for Margaret Loving Turpin, the widow of Victor Noir Turpin, it states that her father’s name was Owen Gibbs. Her mother’s name was given simply as “D.K.” (don’t know) A genealogical mystery surrounds Margaret Loving Turpin, the elder. I believe Margaret Loving Turpin was married previously and had a daughter, Margaret Loving, by her first marriage.
Fort Worth Star-Telegraph 28 Apr 1916
“Gypsies Go Shopping for a "Place to Go" by Order of Police
This sounds like an old vaudeville gag, but it is certified and sworn to: "What stations have you?" inquired the chief of a party of foreigners who called at the Rock Island ticket office yesterday. "What size station do you want?" inquired V. N. Turpin, city ticket agent. "We want gude size ceety -- beeg place, beeg as Fort Wort," the chief said. Whereupon, Turpin told them all about Oklahoma City, Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City, giving an industrial review of each. The chief wanted to know which city had the most restaurants, hotels and candy kitchens in it. They also wanted to know which city "cost the most." Turpin recommended Kansas City. The men were Gypsy leaders, who have been in Fort Worth with their families, totaling twenty-seven people, for three weeks. They are to leave Fort Worth Monday - moving on police orders. The Gypsies cannot get along with Fort Worth people, they say. They have tried three neighborhoods, but at each place the neighbors complained. They are now at Arizona and Henrietta streets. The men are coppersmiths and want to go to a place where there is the most of this work available."
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram 22 Apr 1915
“Accused of Fan Theft
An electrician was arrested Thursday by detectives and charged with theft in connection with a fan alleged to have been stolen from V. N. Turpin, city ticket agent of the Rock Island. Turpin sent the electrician to his home to repair the fan. He took it away from home and never returned it, it is said. Questioned Thursday morning, he said he had given the fan to a boy to be delivered at Turpin's home."
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Dec 1916
“V. N. Turpin, city passenger agent of the Rock Island, will see one of his brothers for the first time in nineteen years when he reaches Chicago Sunday morning to attend a family reunion. He left Friday night, accompanied by Mrs. Turpin. The reunion will be held at the home of his brother, A. C. Turpin, ticket agent at the LaSalle Street station of the Rock Island in Chicago.”
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Victor Noir Turpin: Described as tall with brown eyes and light brown hair on WWI Draft registration card, 1918. Has false teeth.
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In 1921 Victor N. Turpin was listed as City Passenger Agent working at 116 Ninth Street, Fort Worth, TX in the back of a publication entitled “Colorado: Under the Turquoise Sky.” The publication was put out by the Rock Island Railroad.
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Dallas Morning News, 25 Mar 1927
“Railroad Man Had Premonition of Death
Fort Worth, Texas, March 24 (Sp) -- Funeral services for Victor N. Turpin, 53, city ticket agent for the Rock Island lines, who died at his home, 812 West Magnolia Avenue, Wednesday, will be held Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock at the First Congregational Church.
Mr. Turpin had been connected with the Rock Island since 1891. Death was due to heart failure. According to Mrs. Turpin, her husband had a premonition of his death and only a few days ago instructed her as to what to do in case he died suddenly.
He is survived by his wife, three brothers, Carl J. Turpin of Oklahoma City, Austin Turpin of Detroit and Ashburn (sic) Turpin of Winfield, Kan.”
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From the papers of Carl Julian Turpin housed in the Western History Collection at the library at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK.
American Railway Express Company
Office of Traffic Manager
46-48 Trinity Place
New York
April 30, 1927
Mr. C. J. Turpin,
Vice President and General Manager
Beaver, Meade & Englewood Railroad Co.,
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Dear Mr. Turpin:
Absence from the city has prevented earlier acknowledgement of your note of April 22nd.
The package referred to has also been received and I appreciate your kindness as well as that of Mrs. V. N. Turpin.
Mrs. Lee or her sister will, no doubt, write Mrs. Turpin.
I was quite shocked to learn of Victor's death. While we have not seen a great deal of him during the past few years, I always made it a point to see him when going through Fort Worth, and I recall that he was out to our house for dinner some two or three years ago. He was a very likeable chap and I know will be missed by his many friends.
Yours very truly,
George S. Lee,
Traffic Manager
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Excerpt from letter from Milton Ashby Turpin to his sister Ella Turpin, dated 9 Dec 1929:
"Aunt Margaret is still in Fort Worth and has moved her house to some new lots and had it remodeled. Guess it is pretty well fixed by this time. She is still pretty sensitive about Victor yet. You know she gave me his watch and chain. Every time she sees it, a sadness comes over her. She was up here in Nov. when Uncle Austin was down this way."
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