Sharing our Links to the Past
by Wally and Frances Gray

William Henry Turley (1865-1896)

The Theodore Turley Family Book, pp. 152-153

William Henry Turley, son of Isaac Turley and Sarah Greenwood Turley, was born in 1865 and married Mary Skousen in 1887.  Mary was born May 2, 1870 in Draper, Utah to James Niels and Cecil Marie Pedersen Skousen.  She died Jan. 14, 1953 in South Gate, California and was buried in Mesa, Ariz.

 The following is a biographical sketch of William Henry Turley written by his daughter, Delia, with help of her mother, Mary Skousen:

 William Henry Turley was born December 14 1865 at Beaver City, Utah.  He was blessed in January, 1866 by John Murdock at Beaver City, Utah and baptized June 6, 1877 by Henry Roger(?) Beaver Ward, and was confirmed by Dudley Merrels, Beaver Ward.  He was ordained an Elder September 27, 1879 by Frank Farnsworth.

My father grew up when the west was a wild country.  Indians were a problem and so were the thieves and other Godless men.  However, father grew up to be a strong, healthy Latter-day Saint, who was honest and truthful with his fellow men as well as loyal and faithful in attending to his Church duties.  The people who associated with him were constantly working to get him to join them in smoking, drinking, and riotous living.  He always refused them, however, and because of his high standards, he was always trusted and respected.

My father loved his parents dearly and patterned his life after them.  There were no girls born to this family, so William often assisted his mother in her house work. His father depended on him to look after the stock.  He rode the range and was in complete charge of his father's cattle.  This was a very dangerous job as there were many cattle rustlers and warlike Indians, but he was never afraid of them.

He did a lot of hauling of lumber out of the mountains. One trip he was late in returning home.  He had a feeling he should not leave 'till later.  When he did get part way home he saw smoke.  He stopped his team and crawled up the ridge and there he saw a house burning and Indians who had killed all the family living in the burning home.  He felt his life had been spared.  Apostle Erastus Snow told my father if he would never carry a gun, he would never need one.

My father met my mother in Colonia Juarez, Mexico and they were married July 31, 1887.  They later went to the St. George Temple and were sealed October 23, 1887.  My brother, Marion, was born August 15, 1888 and I was born 3 1/2 years later, January 24, 1892.

During the spring of 1896 my father worked some for Uncle Ernest Taylor.  One day while irrigating a field of alfalfa, he became ill.  It was later diagnosed as pneumonia. He died the 9th of May, 1896.

Children of William Henry and Mary Skousen Turley:

Marion William Turley, b. Aug. 15, 1888, Colonia Juarez, Mexico

Delia Turley Shook, b. Jan. 24, 1892, Colonia Juarez, Mexico

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