ANDREW R. TURNER, who for twenty-three years has lived near Rome, Missouri, is a native of Polk County, Tennessee, but was reared in Georgia on the Chickamauga battle-ground. His father, Joseph Turner, was born in the Old North State in 1812, and after marrying Nancy Fouts, in Tennessee, and living there until the subject of this sketch was ten years old, he removed to Georgia. His father was William Turner.
Andrew R. Turner attended the common schools of Walker County, Ga., and was twenty years of age at the time of the opening of the Civil War, but he continued to attend school until 1863, being exempt under the conscript law of Georgia, but at that time he was forced to join the Confederate Army or leave the country and chose the latter alternative and went to Kentucky, where in August, 1863, he. enlisted in the Ninth Tennessee Cavalry, United States Army, commanded by Col. Joseph Parsons, and served the Union cause from the time of his enlistment until the war closed, becoming sergeant of his company-Company B. He was in the engagements at Cumberland Gap, Knoxville, Greenville, Morristown, and many skirmishes, and for. some time was on the sick list in the hospital at Nashville. His brother James left Georgia at the same time that he did, joining the same company, but died in the hospital in 1864, at about the age of twenty years. Andrew R. made a faithful and trustworthy soldier, and upon leaving his home in Georgia he ran much risk in his attempt to reach the Union lines. After the war was over he returned to his old home in Georgia, where he lived four years, then joined his father and mother in Douglas County, Missouri, whither their Union principles and sympathies had led them.
The father was a scout for Gen. Thomas during the Civil War, but after the war had closed he resumed the peaceful pursuit of farming, and followed this occupation until his death in 1894, his wife having died in 1886. Their family consisted of three children: James, Andrew R, and John D., who is residing on the old homestead in this county. He is a successful farmer, is married and has an interesting family. The father was a Democrat prior to, and a stanch Republican after, the war, and he and his worthy wife were members, in good standing, of the Baptist Church. He became prominent in this and Ozark Counties and was highly honored wherever known.
Andrew R. Turner first followed farming near the old homestead, but in 1884 embarked in the drygoods business in Rome, in partnership with F. M. Richards, which connection lasted four years, at which time Mr. Turner established himself in his present business, and his annual sales now amount to about $1o,000. He keeps an excellent stock of general goods and has a liberal patronage among the best people of his section. He is the Republican postmaster at Rome, is a notary public, and is one of the most enterprising of the younger business men of the county and has many warm friends. Socially he is a member of Douglas Lodge No. 319, of the I. O. O. F. at Ava, and belongs to the G. A. R. Post No. 307 at Roy. While following mercantile pursuits he has also given much attention to tilling the soil and stockraising.
He was married in Georgia to Miss Margaret Lietch, a daughter of Archibald and Mary (Armstrong) Lietch, the former of whom was born in Scotland, and when a boy came with his father, John Lietch, to this country. He became a resident of Georgia and afterward, in 1870, of Douglas County, Missouri, where he followed farming until his death in 1890. His wife was born in Georgia and died in Missouri in 1891, a daughter of William Armstrong, who died in Alabama. Mrs. Turner was born in Georgia, and has borne her husband three children: Mary, who became the wife of H. C. Osborn, and died leaving four children: Maston H., William, Claude and Della; Nancy A., wife of M. E. Richards, the successful miller at Rome, Missouri, has three children-Albert, Emmett and Gertrude; and James who is living on a farm near Rome, and is married to Fannie Sager, by whom he has two children-Lillie and Nellie. Mr. and Mrs. Turner are worthy members of the Baptist Church, in which he is a deacon.