“Homer Turner of Portsmouth, private in headquarters and military police company, stationed in the Philippines, died January 12 at the station hospital at Fort Stotsenburg, Philippine Islands, after suffering sometime with abscess of the liver.”
“Private Turner was a son of Mrs. Rose Turner, 826 Front Street. He was born April 30, 1910 in Elliott County, Kentucky. His parents moved to Portsmouth when he was a year old. His last employment in Portsmouth was with the Dravo Contracting Company, on the Fullteron-Portsmouth bridge.”
“He enlisted more than six years ago in San Antonio, Texas, and was stationed there for three years. The majority of his second enlistment had been spent in the Philippines.”
“The mother received a telegram from the war department January 2 that her son was in the hospital.”
“The soldier is survived by the mother, three brothers, Edward of Front Street, Cecil of the West Side and Johnny at home.”
“Mrs Turner has notified the war department that she wishes the body returned to Portsmouth. The body is to be sent to the Unites States on the first available United States army transport leaving the Philippines and is expected to arrive in New York about April 15.”
“While in Portsmouth, the young man attended First Christian Sunday school.”
“The body is to be sent to the Windel-Howland funeral home from the New York port.”1
The Obituary of Homer Turner
“The body of Private Homer Turner, son of Mrs. Rose Turner, 826 Front street, who died January 12 in the Philippine Islands where he was stationed arrived here Sunday night and was removed to the Windel-Howland funeral home. The body arrived in San Francisco on March 19 and was sent from there to Portsmouth.”
“Funeral services probably will be held Tuesday afternoon at the funeral home and burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery.2
US Veterans Administration Master Index Card for Homer Turner3
- Local Soldier Dies in Service. (1936, January 22). Portsmouth Times, p. 22.
- Homer Turner. (1936, March 23). Portsmouth Times, p. 12.
- “United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3MH-KD64?cc=2968245 : 8 August 2019), > image 1 of 1; citing NARA microfilm publication 76193916 (St. Louis: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985).
