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Hazel May Turner was born in 1894, the only daughter of Edward & Edith Turner who we learned about last week. She was born on the farm and spent her whole life in this community. She attended Spring Grove Elementary and Richmond High School where she graduated with the class of 1913. Following her graduation, she attended the University of Illinois for one year. Her future husband, Benjamin Winn, who was from Bassett, Wisconsin, also attended the U of I for one year. Ben’s sister was Louisa Winn, an elementary school teacher in Spring Grove for many years, who we learned about recently.
Ben and Hazel married on June 18, 1921. They had two children, Edward, born in 1927, and daughter, Edith. They lived on and took over the Hazel Ridge Farm from her parents and at some point the road the farm is located on was officially named Winn Road after the Winn family, not the Turners who homesteaded there in the 1860s.
Sadly, Hazel met an untimely death on February 21,1930 in the Janesville Hospital from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 35. The whole community felt a personal loss. Her obituary stated she was a loving daughter, devoted mother, companionable wife and a true friend to all who knew her. Hazel had many interests and was active in the Home Bureau and other clubs that contributed to the good of the community. The funeral service was at the Methodist Church in Solon Mills (now a private residence) and she was buried in the Cedarvale Cemetery on South Solon Road.
In 1939, Ben married again to Emily Davidson and they had one child; a daughter born the next year. Ben was a lifelong dairy farmer and retired in 1966. He had one of the largest herds of Holstein cows at one time. He was a member of the Pure Milk Association and the Community Church of Richmond where he sang in the choir for many years. He was also a member of the Richmond-Burton High School board and the McHenry County Board of School Trustees.
Ben died at age 97 in 1993 and is buried in Cedarvale Cemetery with Emily, who lived to age 101 and died in 2003. Ben was preceded in death by his sister Louisa and his six brothers. He had 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Story by Laura Frumet
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