by Barbie Jones

Still Looking for Aunt Sallie…

The ultimate fate of my 3rd great aunt , Sallie John Turner, born in 1880 in Southampton County, Virginia, remains elusive. Most certainly for domestic reasons, she was taken from Emporia, Virginia to Liberty, Missouri around 1896. She was taken by Presbyterian minister, William Frost Bishop D.D., and lived with his family there. She never saw her family again.

Even though many questions remain about Aunt Sallie’s whereabouts, there have been many interesting facts discovered. Sallie’s disappearance from her family has been previously discussed and written about here on The Genealogy Situation Room.

The most recent development, now a couple of years old, is the finding of Sallie’s Presbyterian baptismal record from 1896. Even though Sallie was the daughter of a Baptist minister, John H. Turner B.D., and his wife, Josephine, she was brought into the Presbyterian denomination soon after arriving in Missouri.

According to U.S. Presbyterian records, Sallie was baptized into the Presbyterian denomination of Christianity on 12 January 1896. Her father, John H. Turner, was a Baptist minister.
Liberty Presbyterian Church (now First Presbyterian Church) in Liberty, Missouri is the location of Sallie’s 1896 baptism.

From left to right: Judith Joyce Bishop, Diana (dog), Henry Roper Bishop, Sallie John Turner Photo Courtesy: R.A. *Many many continued thanks to R.A. for sharing the only visage that we have of Aunt Sallie.”

SALLIE JOHN TURNER Mrs. Josephine Hoxey of 218 Kent St in Norfolk, Va. wishes to locate her daughter, Sallie John Turner, who when last heard from, was in Liberty, Mo. Miss Turner was adopted by Rev. Mr. Bishop, who is a former Virginia resident, about 40 years ago. The daughter was carried away and has never been seen by the mother since. However the mother has heard that she is living with Rev. Mr. Bishop and his family in Liberty, Mo. At the time she last saw her daughter, Mrs. Hoxey was in Emporia, Va. Please send all information to Mrs. Hoxey at the above address or to the Journal and Guide. 12 Sept 1936 | Norfolk Journal and Guide | *M.J., you discovered this article and shared it with me. Thank you! One year and six months to the day of this article’s publication, Sallie’s mother-Josephine, passed away. She died without ever knowing what happened to her daughter.

Dearest Josephine, we continue the search for Darling Sallie. For as long as we have the mystery of her whereabouts and fate, we have a situation…

The Genealogy Situation Room

—-The Genealogy Situation Room wishes to thank all of those individuals who have taken the time to search records, databases, archives, websites, and the like in solidarity with the search for Aunt Sallie. God bless you.

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