My name is Steve Fedric. I'm US civil service in Germany, but I was born in the Texas Panhandle (Stratford/Dumas). I've heard the name Turnipseed mentioned before in my childhood. Relatives in Stratford have traced our ansestry to Pierre Fedric (a carpenter), immigrant from France, early 19th century (his offspring orphaned when he was killed by a falling tree in Viginia). His son left his adoptive parents and followed path like that in your post. Grandad Byron Fedric (Great Grandad Samuel fedric, I think) came up from Mississippi early 20th century to the Panhandle. Are we related?