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Compiled by Mary Lou Pope, Maryville 1966 - 1987
Thomas Cameron Pope, Hancock Co., Ill and Letha Ann Yeager, La Harpe, applied for a marriage license in 1866 in Hancock Co., but the account was never returned to the county. We assume they were married at this time. Their four children, Lucy Alfonse (Dec.31, 1868), Clarence Monroe (June 7, 1871), Eugene Ernest (Mar. 3, 1876) and Laura Agnes (Feb. 22, 1877), were all born in Hancock Co., Ill.. They supposedly made their home in Henderson Co., Ill in 1880. In 1885 they moved to Nodaway Co , Mo., and settled on a farm 12 miles Northwest of Maryville, Mo. In the Atlas of 1893 of Nodaway Co. it shows T.C. Pope owning 80 acres 1 and 1/8 mile North of Clyde School No. 7 on East side of road in Union, Twp. 65 & 66; Ranges 34,35 and 36 West. Jan 12, 1893 Clarence married Sarah Eva Pence. Also, in the 1893 Atlas it shows E (Eugene) owning 40 acres in Atchison, Twp. 66 & 67; Ranges 35, 36 and 37 West. (1 mile south of Good Hope Methodist Church.) In 1906 Eugene and wife Alice, and 5 children and his father and mother (Thomas and Letha) moved to Maryville and they opened the County Seat Hotel in partnership which they successfully conducted. It was located on the south side of the square in Maryville. C.M. (Clarence Monroe) of Hopkins, Mo., Union Twp. was listed as a Leading Farmer of 1906. The 1911 Atlas of Nodaway Co. lists C.M. Pope owning 90 acres in Atchison, Twp. 66&67; Ranges 35, 36 and 37. Also C.M., wife Sadie; children Floyd and Earl, P.O. Hopkins R.1, owner of 90 acres Sec 19 and in Hopkins, Twp. owner of 80 acres; Range 34. Website Editor's note: Photos are available on this website. Thomas Cameron (Grandpap as he was affectionately called) was killed instantly on the afternoon of June 19, 1922 when he fell from the roof at the home of the Rev. Father Henry F. Niemann, while repairing the chimney. The accident happened in the afternoon at about 4:10 o’clock and it was thought he might have become overheated and fell, or that he was attacked with heart trouble. Letha ( Granny) and Grandpap also reared several orphan children. Three of which were: Wm. L. Butler (Aug2, 1887 - 1930 or 32), James Leo Butler (died, l982 or 83), and Art Yeager (a nephew of Granny’s). Vilas Earl Pope and Marie Luella Sturm were married Nov. 11, 1924 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Maryville, Mo. by Father Lawrence Villing. Marguerite Sturm (Marie’s sister and Floyd Anselm Pope (Earl’s bro.) were the attendants. The bride’s wedding dress was blue brocade and the groom wore a blue surge suit. The morning weather was nice but it was freezing cold by evening. A wedding dinner of fried chicken was served by the bride’s parents for the wedding party and her brothers and sisters and the grooms parents, his brother and wife and Maude Pope and Henry Upschulte. Earl and Marie left that afternoon on their honeymoon in their 1923 Ford Coupe. They went to St. Joe, Mo. (45 miles S. of Maryville) but returned home that night to Maryville because they were afraid the water pipes would freeze in their newly purchased home on West First St. The next week Earl returned to work at the Townsend Grocery Store at Fourth and Main St. where he had been previously employed a year or so. In March of 1926 Earl and Marie and daughter Kathleen Marie (Dec. 15, 1925) moved 7 miles Southwest of Hopkins to live with Clarence and Sadie (Sarah). In March of 1927 they purchased an 80 acres from Earl’s parents for $150.00 an acre with plans to build a new home but the crop prices failed and the land was sold back to the elder Popes. It was in 1927 that Earl and Marie got their first radio. In 1928 Earl and Marie got a new car. It was a 1928 Model A Ford, Sedan. Sept. 22, 1929 Letha Ann Yeager Pope died. In 1930 the elder Popes moved to Maryville to the house which Earl still owned. In the following year they moved back to the farm because they did not like it in town. Mar. 24, 1930, Robert Earl was born. It was during 1932 that the corn prices dropped to 10 cents a bushel and hogs $2.65 a hundred. In 1935 the drought got all of their corn crop. Market prices dropped to almost nothing. In January 1936 Earl and Marie and Kathleen and Robert moved back to the elder Popes farm and the elder Popes moved back to town. It was this year the country was plagued by chinch bugs. In 1937 the grasshoppers hit, completely destroying some fields and not doing much damage to others. It was on Nov. 28th of this year Ruth Ann was born to Earl and Marie. In 1938 Earl purchased his first tractor, a John Deere steel wheel. They also drove to the little town of Clearmont on Sat. nights to watch movies on the side of the grocery store wall. Richard Thomas was born to Earl and Marie on July 13, 1940. On Feb. 2, 1944 Clarence Monroe Pope died. In 1945 Earl and Marie had their first electrical power which was with the St. Joe Light and Power Co. Mary Louella was born to Earl and Marie on Dec. 6, 1946. On Dec. 22, 1948, Sadie, Sarah Eva Pence Pope died. Feb. 26, 1969 Earl and Marie sold the 160 acre farm they owned and where they now made their home, 2 1/2 miles north of Maryville. They moved to 302 S. Saunders and lived there till June of 1976, when they moved across the street to their newly built home at 404 S. Saunders. Earl died Sept. 2, 1976. Marie continues to make her home there, enjoying her children and grandchildren to the fullest. |
