John Woessner Turner
To the memory of
John Woessner
Infant son of
D. McNeill and
Annie E. Turner
Died
Aug 17, 1891
Aged 1 yr, 3 mos., & 27 days
Our little darling is at rest
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
This child was only 1 year, 3 months, and 27 days old when he died on August 17, 1891. He was the child of Annie E. Woessner and D. McNeill Turner. The child was probably named for his maternal grandfather, John Woessner, a merchant of Corpus Christi who committed suicide because of financial troubles and is buried near his grandson in Old Bayview Cemetery. Annie Woessner and D. McNeill Turner married in Nueces County in 1877, but apparently had no children survive them. D. McNeill Turner subsequently married a second time in 1901. Mr. Turner (father of little John Woessner Turner) was one of the oldest attorneys of Corpus Christi when he died in 1937 at age 84. Mr. Turner was born November 24, 1853 in Tallahassee, Florida and came to Texas in 1873. He taught school at Milford, old Columbia on the Brazos and later in Rockport. In 1875 he moved to Corpus Christi where he was initially employed as a bookkeeper for a lumber firm and then began his study of law in the offices of McCampbell and Givens, admitted to the bar in 1877 and practicing law from that time until his death. In his early years in Corpus Christi D. McNeill Turner also was active as a newspaper man, serving as editor of the Corpus Christi Gazette, the Corpus Christi Critic and the Corpus Christi Times (then a weekly).
He served the city and district in many capacities. In 1877 and 1878 he was an alderman (city councilman). He was city attorney for two terms, county attorney for two terms, and district attorney for five terms (first of the 25th and 28th districts and then of the 49th district). He also served as a justice of the peace locally and as a special district judge in various southwest Texas districts under four governors at times when the regular judges were disqualified. Among other things, he wrote the first city water ordinance in 1893, the first street car franchise, the city charter of 1909, and the first city gas franchise in 1910. From 1882 to 1897 he was a delegate to every state Democratic convention in Texas. In 1896 he was elected state representative from the local district that included Corpus Christi. In 1899 he was elected state Senator from the district. He then returned to law practice with the firm of Turner and McCampbell, which had been organized in 1896 with Edwin Atlee McCampbell.
His second wife (after Annie E. Woessner) was the first woman official to be in the pay of the State of Texas. In 1897 she was elected postmistress of the House of Representatives and held that position until October 1, 1901 when she resigned to marry then Judge Turner. The wedding took place at high noon in the House of Representatives on the eve of adjournment. The bride came forward on the arms of House Speaker Prince and was met by the bridegroom accompanied by Lieut. Governor Browning. In 1920 she was national financial chairwoman from Texas to the national Democratic convention and in 1924 the first of two women delegates from Texas to the national Democratic convention. Mr. D. McNeill Turner died in November of 1937 and was buried at Peck's cemetery in Goliad, Texas (cf. C. C. Times, Nov. 30, 1934 page 3, col. 1-2; C. C. Times, Nov. 5, 1937 page 1, col. 7; and C. C. Caller, Nov. 6, 1937 page 1 col. 2 and page 2 col. 5).
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell