There are many resources available to help us better understand both the life of Theodore Turley and his descendants. Here are some books and websites we hope you find valuable. Please contact us if you have other recommendations!

**Be sure to check out our Historical Documents page to find more great resources on Theodore Turley.**

Websites

FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/en/) — Access the extensive family history records of the FamilySearch Library (formerly the Family History Library) in Salt Lake City. FamilySearch’s Family Tree is a collaborative wiki-type tree, where users can add/correct data for deceased family members, attach historical records as sources, and add “Memories” (photos, documents, stories, etc.). You can search historical records as well as the FamilySearch Library’s extensive catalog of books and microfilms. Many of the libraries holdings are digitized and available to view at home, but a log-in is required. FamilySearch accounts are free and available for anyone regardless of religious affiliation.

Church History Biographical Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/landing) — This database is hosted by the Church History Library in Salt Lake City (the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Initially, it combined the resources of two older databases, the Pioneer Overland Travel Database and the Early Missionary Database, but new collections are continuously being added. According to the overview of this biographical database, information about individuals may include photographs, parents’ names, baptism info, pioneer company info, mission info, and a “list of sources used to gather the individual’s information, such as censuses, pioneer company rosters, and the Journal History of the Church.”1

Ann’s Stories (https://annlaemmlenlewis1.wordpress.com/) — Ann Laemmlen Lewis is a descendant of Theodore Turley through his daughter, Charlotte Turley Bushman. Ann has gathered and shared stories about her extended relatives for over a decade, and her blog posts are a veritable treasure trove of family history information. Ann Lewis regularly shares her posts in the Theodore Turley Family Organization Facebook group and attaches them as “Memories” on FamilySearch’s Family Tree. Ann is also one of the co-editors of the Theodore Turley Papers.

Free online collections of original historical records (see also the Historical Documents page):

Books

Forthcoming

  1. “Overview,” Church History Biographical Database, https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/article/overview.