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Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Clark County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Benjamin E. Turner, judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, is a native of Lewis County, Mo., born March 18, 1850, and is the son of Joseph A. and Henrietta (Hagerman) Turner, natives of Kentucky and Virginia, respectively. Our subject’s paternal grandfather was in the war of 1812, and was a brave and gallant soldier. Our subject was reared on a farm in Lewis County, where his parents still reside, and was educated at La Grange College, taking an irregular course, and leaving at the end of the junior year. He read law under the direction of Canton lawyers, was admitted to the bar in 1871, and after practicing a short time at Alexandria, Clark County, he settled at Kahoka, the county seat of justice of that county. He was not long in getting an excellent reputation at the bar, and in 1874 was elected by his Democratic constituents to the office of prosecuting attorney of Clark County. He was re-elected in 1876 and 1878, and made a noteworthy record as a strong prosecutor, having a few very difficult cases, which he managed with marked ability. In 1880, before his third term of prosecuting attorney had expired, he was elected to the bench, being at that time the youngest circuit judge in the State. He was re-elected to that office in 1880. On the bench, as at the bar, he is noted for his industrious habits and honorable bearing. He is fair and impartial, attentive and patient, treats the bar with the courtesy of a gentleman, and in return is greatly respected by the legal fraternity in his judicial circuit. In 1875 he married Miss Mary G. Daggs, daughter of Andrew J. and Sarah Daggs. Her home was in Scotland County, Mo.; she died a few months after marriage. May 19, 1879, he married Miss Lutie McDermott, of Kahoka, and the daughter of William and Louisa (Mosely) McDermott. She was born in this county February 22, 1861, and is the mother of three children: Louise, Frank and McDermott. Judge Turner is a Knight Templar in the Masonic order, and he and wife are members of the Baptist Church. He was for some time a member of the board of trustees of La Grange College, and he is strictly Democratic in his political views.

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This family biography is one of 232 biographies included in the Clark County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri published in 1887.  For the complete description, click here: Clark County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Clark County, Missouri family biographies here: Clark County, Missouri Biographies

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