Jacob Turnbaugh, deceased, was born in Washington county, Kentucky, May 22, 1818, and was a son of George and Nancy Turnbaugh, so well known in the pioneer days of Pike county. In infancy the subject of our sketch emigrated with his parents to Lincoln county, Missouri, where they lived until March 6, 1827, when they were lured to the rich soil of Pike county, settling on what is now known as the Donevan farm near the Stockland schoolhouse.

The country being new, they had to undergo untold suffering. The county at this early period of its history was sparsely settled, and they had none of the conveniences of modern times, while the native savages and ferocious animals were numerous. At this early day where the village of Pleasant Hill now stands was a dense wilderness known as "Bear Thicket," and just one mile west of this, surrounded by an almost impenetrable forest, was a small one-roomed log house - the home of the boy whose life we here record, and who grew to the pure and noble-hearted man widely known as one of the landmarks in the early history of the county.

Mr. Turnbaugh's early educational advantages were very limited, not having enjoyed the free schools, as do the boys of the present day. While he was deprived of such opportunities himself, he never failed to realize the worth of an education, and always advised the young that it was the best investment of their lives.

In this wilderness home the subject of our sketch grew to manhood, residing continuously within three miles of town, much of the time on the Mississippi bottom. He was the second of a family of ten children, of whom one brother and one sister are still living. On the 2d of July, 1836, he was united in marriage to Abigail Collard, and to this union were born eight children, two boys and six girls: Jonathan, Cotel, Nancy Jane, Mary Elizabeth, Margaret Eliza, Ruth Emily, Sarah Samantha, Amanda Melvina and George Washington. Mrs. Abigail Turnbaugh departed this life in July, 1869.

Mr. Turnbaugh was married again on the 22d of February, 1871, this time to Samantha Jane Simpson. To this union two children were born: William Edward and Viola Belle; the sister having crossed the river of death February 3, 1899.

In the early '50s the deceased united with the Baptist church at Martinsburg, six miles north of Pleasant Hill, and was one of the fifty-three petitioners who later asked the mother church at Martinsburg for letters of dismissal, that they might constitute an independent church in Pleasant Hill, and which were granted May 4, 1857.

While a young man he learned the carpenter trade, but is remembered as one of the industrious pioneer farmers of Pleasant Hill township. Up to the time of the war he had owned three different farms, and finally bought a farm one mile south of Pleasant Hill, where he spent the closing years of his life, and where his death occurred January 11, 1903, at the age of eighty-four years, seven months and nineteen days. The funeral, conducted by Rev. William Gaither, of Medora, took place in the Baptist church, of which he had been so long a faithful member.

He was the last of the old settlers of Pleasant Hill township; was a member of the Old Settlers' Association of Pike county, and helped erect the first building ever put up in Pleasant Hill, being near where the Baptist church now stands.

Another event noticeable is that the subject of our sketch was born in the same year the grand old state of Illinois was admitted to the Union. Politically he was a democrat, and never voted anything but that ticket. He never held office of any kind either socially or politically, believing his plain duty to be that of a hard-working, honest and honorable citizen. He lived to see the country change from its wild state to a fertile field of plenty - a living monument to the noble work of the sturdy pioneers with whom he cast his lot in life.

Mr. Turnbaugh loved to talk with his friends, children and grandchildren of his early life in this new country. It would require a volume to record his recollections of those early days of pioneer hardships, but he looked back to them with happy recollections and liked to recall them and talk about them.

"Uncle Jake," as he was familiarly called by both old and young, was a man of Christian integrity, high moral principle, good judgment, beloved and esteemed by all who knew him. He was plain and unostentatious in his manners, a kind neighbor, a pleasant conversational, a loving father, and a kind friend with strong religious convictions, undeviating honesty - a fit and honorable representative of his worthy ancestors. Jacob Turnbaugh, deceased, was born in Washington county, Kentucky, May 22, 1818, and was a son of George and Nancy Turnbaugh, so well known in the pioneer days of Pike county. In infancy the subject of our sketch emigrated with his parents to Lincoln county, Missouri, where they lived until March 6, 1827, when they were lured to the rich soil of Pike county, settling on what is now known as the Donevan farm near the Stockland schoolhouse. The country being new, they had to undergo untold suffering. The county at this early period of its history was sparsely settled, and they had none of the conveniences of modern times, while the native savages and ferocious animals were numerous. At this early day where the village of Pleasant Hill now stands was a dense wilderness known as "Bear Thicket," and just one mile west of this, surrounded by an almost impenetrable forest, was a small one-roomed log house - the home of the boy whose life we here record, and who grew to the pure and noble-hearted man widely known as one of the landmarks in the early history of the county. Mr. Turnbaugh's early educational advantages were very limited, not having enjoyed the free schools, as do the boys of the present day. While he was deprived of such opportunities himself, he never failed to realize the worth of an education, and always advised the young that it was the best investment of their lives. In this wilderness home the subject of our sketch grew to manhood, residing continuously within three miles of town, much of the time on the Mississippi bottom. He was the second of a family of ten children, of whom one brother and one sister are still living. On the 2d of July, 1836, he was united in marriage to Abigail Collard, and to this union were born eight children, two boys and six girls: Jonathan, Cotel, Nancy Jane, Mary Elizabeth, Margaret Eliza, Ruth Emily, Sarah Samantha, Amanda Melvina and George Washington. Mrs. Abigail Turnbaugh departed this life in July, 1869. Mr. Turnbaugh was married again on the 22d of February, 1871, this time to Samantha Jane Simpson. To this union two children were born: William Edward and Viola Belle; the sister having crossed the river of death February 3, 1899. In the early '50s the deceased united with the Baptist church at Martinsburg, six miles north of Pleasant Hill, and was one of the fifty-three petitioners who later asked the mother church at Martinsburg for letters of dismissal, that they might constitute an independent church in Pleasant Hill, and which were granted May 4, 1857. While a young man he learned the carpenter trade, but is remembered as one of the industrious pioneer farmers of Pleasant Hill township. Up to the time of the war he had owned three different farms, and finally bought a farm one mile south of Pleasant Hill, where he spent the closing years of his life, and where his death occurred January 11, 1903, at the age of eighty-four years, seven months and nineteen days. The funeral, conducted by Rev. William Gaither, of Medora, took place in the Baptist church, of which he had been so long a faithful member. He was the last of the old settlers of Pleasant Hill township; was a member of the Old Settlers' Association of Pike county, and helped erect the first building ever put up in Pleasant Hill, being near where the Baptist church now stands. Another event noticeable is that the subject of our sketch was born in the same year the grand old state of Illinois was admitted to the Union. Politically he was a democrat, and never voted anything but that ticket. He never held office of any kind either socially or politically, believing his plain duty to be that of a hard-working, honest and honorable citizen. He lived to see the country change from its wild state to a fertile field of plenty - a living monument to the noble work of the sturdy pioneers with whom he cast his lot in life. Mr. Turnbaugh loved to talk with his friends, children and grandchildren of his early life in this new country. It would require a volume to record his recollections of those early days of pioneer hardships, but he looked back to them with happy recollections and liked to recall them and talk about them. "Uncle Jake," as he was familiarly called by both old and young, was a man of Christian integrity, high moral principle, good judgment, beloved and esteemed by all who knew him. He was plain and unostentatious in his manners, a kind neighbor, a pleasant conversationalist, a loving father, and a kind friend with strong religious convictions, undeviating honesty - a fit and honorable representative of his worthy ancestors.

William E. Turnbaugh, teacher, is the son of Jacob Turnbaugh, who was an early settler of Pike county, having settled in Pleasant Hill township in 1827. The subject of our sketch was born in Pleasant Hill township near the town of Pleasant Hill, this county, January 6, 1874. He entered the public schools of Pleasant Hill when he was nine years of age and on the first day was filled with an earnest desire of becoming a teacher, and with his purpose in life thus early established, he applied himself to his studies with untiring zeal. His boyhood days were spent on his father's farm one mile south of Pleasant Hill, and the time not spent in carrying on the work of the farm was diligently given to his books. He applied himself to close study until February 11, 1894, when he passed a very successful examination before the county superintendent of schools of Pike county for a first grade teacher's certificate, and in the spring following he graduated from his home school, receiving his diploma May 4, 1894.

He began his work of teaching in September, 1894, his first school being taught at Oakland in Pleasant Hill township. He then taught a spring term at Cottonwood Grove and the next fall took charge of the Rock Hill school in Spring Creek township. That he might better prepare himself for his chosen work, he entered the Illinois State Normal University at Normal, Illinois, in 1896, where he remained for a year. Returning to his native county he took up his work at Cottonwood Grove, teaching there from 1897 to 1900, when he was employed as principal of the Pearl schools in Pike county, which position he held for one year, when he again took charge of the Cottonwood Grove school in the fall of 1901, remaining there until the spring of 1905, when he was employed as grammar teacher in the Pleasant Hill schools, which position he now fills.

He has always taken an interest and an active part in local, county and Four County Teachers' Institutes, being local manager of the South Pike Teachers' Association in 1901 and at the present time is president of the Pleasant Hill Teachers' Reading Circle and their permanent instructor in botany and zoology. He has written a number of strong papers along educational lines and delivered to the various teachers' meetings that have been held in Pleasant Hill, Nebo, Pearl and Pittsfield, and has proven himself a very fluent talker and close thinker in discussing matters concerning education.

Mr. Turnbaugh is an active Sunday-school worker and is a member of the Christian church, acting in the capacity of church clerk and financial secretary. He resides on the farm with his mother and is known as a man who loves the associations of books.

Pioneer Family

Buried at Crscent Hts. Cemetery