Biography of Catherine Ann Turney

This biography was submitted by Virginia Smith.

In 1887, Catherine Turney Robinson was reputed to be the oldest person living in either Union or Delaware County.  Her life began February 28, 1788 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, being the seventh child born to John and Magdalena (Grove) Turney.  Her father, John Turney was a Revolutionary War soldier who during his maneuvers became attracted to the farm lands in Ohio[1].

Catherine was baptized in the Reformed Church, near Greensburg, PA.  There she married Christian Myers and bore him two sons, Johannes Myers, (1808-1833), and Christian Myers, Jr. (1809-1862). Her husband Christian was a soldier who died before his second son was born.

When her parents and Myers in-laws both to migrated to central Ohio, Catherine, being a widow with two sons, accompanied them. Her parents, John and Magdalena settled on a farm along the banks of Alum Creek in Mifflin Township, Franklin County, Ohio.  They encouraged their adult children to join them, giving each a portion of land.

Rumors about the single mother circulated around the Mifflin community, and must have reached her own ears, enraging Catherine.  Her reaction to the gossip gives us some insight to her mettle.  She wrote letters to both civil and church authorities in her home town of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, asking for testimonials to her character. Their replies and her scathing rebuttal were published in the newspaper, “Freeman’s Chronicle”, April 30, 1813:

To a Candid Public

“It is with much reluctance and extreme mortification that I appear before you, the public on the present occasion—but am compelled so to do by the malignant falsehoods of certain invidious, malicious, and lying individuals, whose restless, wicked dispositions will not suffer them to rest without abusing every person, who they think merits a better character than themselves—who have invented and circulated many false and evil reports, injurious to my reputation, endeavoring to destroy my character, asserting that I was a woman of evil and wicked habits, and that such was my character in my native county, and have moreover insinuated that I was an unchaste woman.

Now, to convince a candid public, and to eradicate any unfavorable impressions from the mind of any individual, which such false reports may have made, I request the public to read the following certificate, which my Christian friends and the civil authority have been pleased to make out and send me, from the town in which I was brought up. And I call on all those who have circulated those evil reports to come forward and prove them, or they will stand condemned as liars, and will be considered as such by the public.”

CATHARINE MYER

“We, the undersigned, together with William Weaver, who is a member of the reformed Presbyterian synod, do hereby certify that the said William Weaver instructed Catharine Myer, (wife of Christian Myer; who enlisted and went away with the U. S. army) in the reformed Presbyterian profession, and gave her the sacrament the first time, and also married her to the said Christian Myer, with whom she had two sons, eldest named John, the second Christian, which the said Christian ordered so to be before he went away, for he knew that his said wife was pregnant. We do certify, to the honor and credit of said Catharine Myer, daughter of John Turney, that she behaved herself in an honest, chaste, and discreet manner as well after the absence of he said husband as before; and that we do not know, nor have we ever heard anything to her discredit. Given under our hands and seals this twenty-third day of March, 1813.

[signed] William Weaver, Simon Drum, Jacob Hugus, Henry Wilty, Robt. Hunter, Fredk. Rohrer”

Also published was a sworn statement from Robt. Williams and Fredk. Rohrer, two Justices of the Peace of Westmoreland county, [Pennsylvania], who acknowledged the above instrument as the act and deed of those who signed it. [forerunner of a notary?]

On August 28, 1813, Catharine married Asa Robinson, a native of Massachusetts, who was residing in Mifflin Township, Franklin County, Ohio.  Within a few years of their marriage, Asa and Catharine relocated to Union County.  Early Delaware County tax records show them residing there, and about 1822, a notation indicates “to Union County”.  According to the 1883 History of Union County by W. H. Beers, Asa owned and operated Hinton’s mill for about three years before purchasing his farm in Union County.   

Catherine’s father, John Turney, died March 6, 1823. He had written his will in the German language, but never had it filed at the courthouse.  John, one of Catherine’s brothers, was deceased and his share of the estate was set aside for his two minor children. Unfortunately, there was a lengthy dispute among several of the other siblings over the division of property[2].  Before it was settled, Catherine’s mother passed away in 1825.  Asa and Catherine Robinson appeared in court, but did not participate in the land dispute as they had relocated and were busy raising their own family.  Both John and Magdalena Turney are buried in Riverside Cemetery, near their Mifflin township farm. 

Asa and Catharine Robinson had fifty-two years together, but Catharine was widowed in 1866 for the second time.  We find her living with her son-in-law, John S. Smart, in the 1870 census in Millcreek Township, Union County.  In the 1880 federal census, she is listed as 92 years old, living with her daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Morgan Savage in Dover Township, Union County.  When she died June 2, 1884, at the age of 97 years, she was at her daughter’s home (Mary Smart) in Marysville and she was survived by five of her ten children.  Her obituary[3] states that she had retained her mind unusually well for one of her extreme age, and “although helpless for a number of years, was patient in her afflictions. She has left the world and its sorrows and now rests from her labors.”

The “Robinson Monument” is in the Old Millcreek Cemetery, near the Union County line in Concord Township, Delaware County, Ohio. It bears the names of Asa, Catharine, Willie (an infant son), and son Joseph T. Robinson his wife Abigail [Mann] Robinson.