Question

How do I confirm that Turner-485 is the son of Turner-486 and Taggart-34?

Answer 1

You go looking for sources, like from familysearch.org (free) or Findmypast and Ancestry (both pay sites)

Answer 2

I can't find a birth certificate/record for Melvin, but he was born 10 months after 17-year-old Della married George.  But then 19-year-old Della married William Ratliff, and Melvin seems to have been given the Ratliff family name, which he used until maybe he was in his mid-late 20s (before WW1).  The first record I can see of him as Turner is on his WW1 draft card.  Do you know what happened to GW Turner?  The Wikitree profile and related sources suggest that he died in 1909, so maybe he married Della, had a baby, then left?  Did they divorce?  Or...

Comments

Melvin Turner was my grandfather. His son Robert Melvin Turner was my father. I was told that Grandpa George killed a man who cheated in a poker game. It was in self-defense, but because the dead man was a friend to the sheriff, George served time in Lansing Prison for murder. Also heard that when Grandpa George "went away" , Grandma Della divorced him and married William Ratliff. Melvin was someone I tried to avoid as much as possible. Dad had an alcohol problem. So most of the time, I didn't know what to believe. These could just be stories made up.

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It sounds like a movie!  But... I think you know the story, and the records, as far as they go, seem to confirm your story, especially as Melvin was born only 10 months after Della married George.

Answer 3

Most people accept census data. Since the 1900 and 1910 census say he was their son, unless you suspect he was adopted, I would accept that as confirmation.

You should also be able to locate a death certificate for Melvin, in Topeka. You'll probably have to pay for a copy of the death certificate, but they usually have parents listed.

Comments

I don't need to confirm this information for myself. When I entered Melvin as the child, it said it could not be saved unless I could confirm it. I'm not sure, but it might not be a problem anymore. Thank you all for your helpful comments.

Answer 4

Depending on when they were born, sometimes you can find Baptismal or Christening records on Familysearch.org which would help sort out the birthdate and confirm parentage.

Answer 5

Since the question has been tagged with DNA, has one of his descendants done a DNA test? I assume you have. Did you find any matches who are also related to Melvin’s parents’ families?

Comments

Melvin Turner was my paternal grandfather, and I did the DNA test with Ancestry. I'm starting my account with WikiTree. I can do my best to answer any questions concerning Melvin's wife, children, grandchildren, etc.