Current Post 240 Historian Roger Easter, past Post 240 Historian Brad Thompson and past President of Auxiliary Unit 240 Joanna Lay made the trip to Turnbow Cemetery to visit the grave of Post 240 name-sake , Ammon Turnbow. Road signs directing the route were missing resulting in a few extra miles searching, but with the help of a dairy worker we finally arrived at the Cemetery. For future reference, grave is located on a line beginning at gate entrance extending towards flag pole (No Flag) and approximately 20’ beyond pole and to the left.
Turnbow Cemetery direction from Stephenville South loop, take Alexander HWY (914) and travel 17.4 miles and turn right on CR 543 continue approximately 1.3 miles and turn right on CR263. Turnbow Cemetery is approximately .3 of a mile on your right.
Leaving Turnbow Cemetery we returned to Stephenville’s West Cemetery and the grave site of Post 240 name-sake John Higgs. Grave is located a short distance from the southern most entrance off S. Lillian and is easily found by driving slowly (East to West) and stopping at Higgs Tombstone. John Higgs grave marker is that provided by the U.S. Government and is located to the left of the highly visible HIGGS marker.
Founded in 1920, American Legion Post 240 was named Ammon Turnbow Post 240. Ammon Turnbow , a Marine, died on 1 November 1918, just ten days before the Armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany on November 11, 1918. His death resulted from being hit by German machine gun fire during the Meuse-Argonne battle, the last great battle of World War I. He was a former student at John Tarleton College located in Stephenville, TX. His body was returned to America and interred at Turnbow Cemetery near the community of Alexander located a few miles southeast of Stephenville, TX.
On July 24, 1947, the Post name was changed to Turnbow-Higgs Post 240. This was in honor of all servicemen killed in WWII and specifically for John Fielding Higgs, son of Rufus F. Higgs, one of the founders and long-time publisher of The Empire-Tribune. John graduated from Stephenville High School and Tarleton College. He was a student at Texas University when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. A B-17 Bomber pilot, he was killed on a mission over Germany and was buried in France. His body was later brought to Stephenville for reburial
