Turner, Alice Bellvadore (Sams), M. D.

TURNER, SAMS, HUMPHREYS, BOYD, VANDEVENDER, HILTON, WARNER, PRESTON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 10/23/2009 at 06:56:57

Turner, Alice Bellvadore (Sams), M. D.

Women are entering, in this advanced epoch of the world's history, many of the professions, and, as a rule, they have met with exceptional success, this being particularly true of medicine, and the town of Colfax, Jasper county, has a resident woman who has been longer in practice than most women doctors, and one who stands at the top of the profession, irrespective of sex. Dr. Alice Bellvadore (Sams) Turner is a descendant of a sterling old family of courageous, useful men and women, who have been leaders in various lines wherever they have dispersed, faithful citizens in whatever situation they were placed, whether fighting for their country's independence or living quietly in times of peace, whether blazing new trails on the frontier of civilization or laboring to better material, civic and moral conditions in some seat of modern culture. Mrs. Dr. Turner is a native of this county, having been born at Greencastle on March 13, 1859; the daughter of John and Evaline (Humphreys) Sams, the former the son of Edmund and Sarah Sams, and her mother was the daughter of Moses and Rebecca (Boyd) Humphreys. Both her grandfathers served in the War of 1812 with the Tennessee troops. John Sams was born in Sullivan County, East Tennessee, in 1813 and there he spent his boyhood, moving to Logan County, Illinois, in 1833; when that country was practically a wilderness. From there he came to Jasper County, Iowa, in 1853 and again began life as a pioneer. He first married Mary Vandevender, who was born in Virginia in 1834 and her death occurred in 1851, leaving three children, David E., Margaret and Sarah, deceased. In 1852, while a resident of Logan County, Illinois, he was united in marriage with Evaline (Humphreys) Hilton, who was born May 10, 1824, in the eastern part of Tennessee. To this marriage four children were born: Alfred is living in Jasper County; Emily, widow of Dr. A. S. Warner; Alice Bellvadore, subject of this sketch, and Francis M.

John Sams, born January 8, 1813, was a successful farmer, in fact, for many years he was one of the leading agriculturists of the county, being the owner of about six hundred and forty acres here. He was influential in the affairs of his community, serving as township trustee and school director. He was an active Democrat, and a good and useful man. His death occurred on April 9, 1891, his widow surviving until August 19, 1902.

The subject's paternal grandparents, Moses and Rebecca (Boyd) Humphreys, were natives of Carter County, Tennessee, and in an early day they moved to Logan County, Illinois, where they lived until 1853, when they came to Jasper County, Iowa, thus starting life twice under pioneer conditions, and here they spent the rest of their lives.

Alice B. Sams grew to womanhood and received her common school training in her home community, later attending Lincoln University, at Lincoln, Illinois, also Simpson College at Indianola, Iowa, and the Mitchell Seminary at Mitchellville, Iowa, and for a time she successfully taught school in Jasper and Shelby counties. She studied medicine under Dr. J. J. M. Angear of Keokuk, Iowa, making rapid progress, and thus well equipped for her life work, she began practicing medicine in Colfax in 1884 and with the exception of two years, from 1898 to 1900, inclusive, spent in Chicago, this vicinity has been the arena of her endeavors, during which time she has enjoyed a profitable and growing practice and has taken a position in the front rank of her compeers.

On October 21, 1878, the subject was united in marriage with Dr. Lewis C. S. Turner, a complete sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this history, and has since been associated with him in practice and in the management of the famous Turner Rest Home and Sanitarium, but the success of the same has been due as much to her efforts as to his. She is a member of the Iowa State Medical Society. She was one of the founders of the Colfax Public Library, of which she has been president for many years; she also belongs to the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Woman's Relief Corps. In 1886 and 1887 she filled the position of health officer of Colfax, being the first woman in Iowa to fill such a position. She has read many able papers before the above named literary and medical societies. She is a scholarly, cultured and refined lady whom to know is to esteem for her many commendable attributes of head and heart and she numbers her friends only by the limits of her acquaintance. She is a worthy member of the Unitarian church. Although necessarily very busy in her professional and club work, she is nonetheless a faithful mother and home-loving woman. On July 24, 1874, she began keeping a diary, a daily record of transpiring events of interest, which she has continued to the present time, and she has induced her son and daughter to begin keeping a daily journal. These children are, Vera, born October 2, 1881, who was graduated from Wellesley College in 1895, married J. W. Preston, now a resident of Colfax, and they are the parents of one child, Ruth Alice, born July 13, 1911; Carroll John Turner, who was born March 28, 1893, was graduated from the local high school and he is now attending Drake University at Des Moines, intending to follow the medical profession. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 483.