The creation of this website was approved by members of the Theodore Turley Family Organization at the April 2019 semi-annual meeting. We had over 2,000 views in 2019, with our highest number of views on July 24th, Pioneer Day. Our most viewed pages were the blog posts “In the Valley of the Great Salt Lake” and “Crossing the Plains with the Silas Richards Company.”
We hope that family members have found the resources on this website helpful, and we are excited to add more in 2020. If you have research questions, would like to submit content, or just want to let us know about recent deaths in the family for the “In Memoriam” page, please contact us.
Below is an overview of content added in 2019. As the list makes clear, our top priority has been to share accurate information and historical records relating to Theodore Turley himself.
Theodore Turley Family Organization
About Us – brief overview of the Theodore Turley Family Organization, including links to previous websites.
Current Leadership – a list of current officers and family representatives
Contact Us – contact form to get in touch with the Theodore Turley Family Organization leadership or sign up for emails.
Theodore Turley
Life Sketch – overview of Theodore’s life incorporating the most recent research findings.
Theodore’s Autobiography – short life sketch written by Theodore Turley at the end of his mission in 1840.
Theodore Turley Biography by Ella Mae Judd – Judd’s biography of Theodore Turley was originally published in the 1978 Theodore Turley family “red book.” This version was updated by Ella Mae Judd in 1997.
Theodore Turley: A Biography by Richard E. Turley, Jr. – a serialized history of Theodore Turley published in TTFO newsletters since 1995. There have been 47 installments published in the newsletters. Twenty-two of these installments have been transcribed on the website.
Historical Documents – Links to images and/or transcripts of many original documents relating to Theodore Turley available on our website or other online databases. Historical documents transcribed and pictured on our website include: Family Memorial of Frances Kimberley, Family Memorial of Mary Clift, Family Memorial of Sarah Ellen Clift, Theodore’s 1837 letter to Isaac Russell, Theodore’s 1848 letter to Brigham Young, Theodore’s 1855 letter to Hosea Stout (giving an overview of his relationship with Joseph Smith), Theodore’s 1864 letter to his children, and Theodore’s 1872 probate record.
Fact vs. Fiction – correcting the record on common myths about Theodore Turley
Theodore’s Photo – an account of how an original photo of Theodore Turley was finally located by a descendant in a central Utah museum.
Theodore Turley Papers – the most current info on the progress of the Theodore Turley Papers project.
Family
Wives – brief overview of each of Theodore’s five wives including links to their individual pages.
Events
Semi-Annual Meetings – notification of the date, location, and time of our upcoming semi-annual meetings.
Annual Temple & Family History Days – description of our annual Temple and Family History events. The audio and transcription of 2019’s event featuring David Roche Turley II and Richard E. Turley, Jr., has also been posted.
World Family History Day – description of World Family History Day on May 15th.
In Memoriam
The “In Memoriam” page lists Theodore Turley descendants (and their spouses) who have passed away since 2015. If you know of any that we have missed, please contact us.
Resources
Newsletter Archive – links to digitized TTFO newsletters going back all the way to the organization’s founding in 1958.
Family Treasures – family history items or collections of interest to multiple lines of Theodore Turley descendants. Currently we have a 1992 video of Clarence F. Turley (1900-1999) talking about Turley family members affiliated with the Mormon Colonies in Mexico, and we also have a collection of photographs once owned by Charles Herman Turley (1899-1979). If you have family history treasures relating to the Theodore Turley family, please share with us!
Books and Websites – descriptions of books and websites relating to Theodore Turley’s life or the lives of his descendants.
Blog
Blog posts announcing organization news and highlighting family history information relating to Theodore Turley’s family. If you would like to make a submission to the blog, please contact us. We published 10 blog posts in 2019.