This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: batchelorw Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1874/mb.ashx Message Board Post: William Alexander Roper, Jr. recently sent me a copy of this article on William Fry Roper, which appears to be a first person account of William Fry Roper's history. In that article, William Fry Roper states that he was born in Greene County, MO, and that his parents were Wylie B. and Minerva (Fry) Roper. He further states that migrated from middle Tennessee to Greene County. So far, this is in agreement with most secondary sources. "Jonathan Fairbanks and Clyde Edwin Tuck Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri Early and Recent History and Genealogical Records of Many of the Representative Citizens ________________________________________ WILLIAM FRY ROPER. One expression of the discontent of the people of the twentieth century is the back-to-the-farm movement. While the wages of workmen have increased and the hours of labor have decreased, the desire for the better things of life and the luxuries have grown proportionately. That which satisfied the laboring man of forty years ago would be regarded with disdain by the workers of today. The increased cost of living in the city undoubtedly has much to do with the discontent of the people, and the imperfect marketing system which, raises the cost to the consumer and minimizes the profits of the producer, is another fertile source of discontent. Whether conditions will adjust themselves under the present economic arrangement and our imperfect system of distribution is a question. It will require more than an ordinary prophet to rise in his place and foretell what the answer will be to the rising tide of discontent of the people of the cities. Having spent his lif! e close to Nature, engaged in peaceful agricultural pursuits and dealing honestly with his fellow men, thereby keeping his conscience clear, William Fry Roper, a well-known citizen of Republic township, Greene county, has never been seized with the spirit of discontent that is so apparent over the land; in other words, he has had the tact to live his life along well-regulated and proper channels. Mr. Roper was born in Greene county, Missouri, February 17, 1853. He is a son of Wylie B. and Minerva (Fry) Roper. The father of our subject emigrated from middle Tennessee to Greene county, this state, in 1851, and rented land nine miles northeast of Springfield, but in a short time settled north of Nichols, on a tract of about two hundred acres. He was a native of Tennessee, as was also his wife, and there they grew to maturity and received limited educations and were married. Our subject was then about one year old, and it was on this place that he spent his boyhood, and attended subscription school at old Antioch. His parents rented their farm and moved to Springfield, where Wylie Roper was selling goods when the. Civil war began. Later the elder Roper moved with his family to Texas and bought a large farm, of which he placed two hundred acres under cultivation. To Wylie Roper and wife ten children were born, namely: DeWitt C. is the eldest; Maggie L., is the wife of Fra! nk White and they live near Nichols, in Greene county; Russell, deceased; John W. lives in California; William F., subject of this sketch; George lives in Lawrence county, Missouri; Wylie B. lives in Oregon; Mrs. Lulu Martin lives in Springfield; Mary and Myrtie, the two youngest, both died in infancy. William F. Roper was married August 2, 1877, to Minerva Sparkman, a daughter of W. D. and Jane (Rainey) Sparkman, both natives of Tennessee, where they grew up, were educated and married, and from that state immigrated to Greene county, Missouri, in 1854. Their family consisted of eight children, named as follows: Dr. Allen G.; Orren lives near Bois D'Arc, Greene county; Jefferson lives in California; Lizzie is deceased; Minerva, who married Mr. Roper of this sketch; James lives in Seattle, Washington; John lives in Republic township, this county; Alice, who married J. M. Short, is deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Roper nine children have been born, namely: Ada is the wife of Edward Roop, of Independence, Missouri; James lives in Seattle, Washington; Ollie is engaged in the furniture and carpet business in Republic, and, being an ardent lover of horses, owns and trades in them. Alice is the wife of Oscar Roop, of Republic; Janie is the wife of George Burris, of Seattle, Washington; Charlie lives in Republic; Bruce lives in St. Louis; Leon lives in Republic; Thomas also resides in Republic. Mr. Roper owns fifty-nine acres of valuable land on the outskirts of the city of Republic, which land he keeps rented, and he lives quietly in his attractive home here, having been retired from the active duties of life during the past two years. Politically he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Christian church, to which his wife and children also belong. [1513-1514]"a The death certificate of William Fry Roper can be found on the Internet. He died on January 1, 1926, in Greene County, MO, widower of "Manerva Jane Sparkman", according to the information provided to the authorities by presumably next of kin. The father's name is listed as Wiley Blunt Roper, born Tennessee. The maiden name and birth place of his mother is unknown. Secondary sources show William Fry Roper's mother to be Minerva Fry, born on April 28, 1822, in Campbellsville, Giles, TN; died December 7, 1887, Springfiled, Greene, MO. "Manerva Roper" first appears in the 1850, District 14, Giles, TN, census, age 26, born abt. 1824, TN, married to Wiley B. Roper, age 30, .Their children are listed as Dewit Roper, age 4; Margaret L. Roper, age 3; and David R. Roper. A Jane Sims, age 25, born in TN, is also listed in the household. "Manerva Roper" next appears in the 1860 Campbell, Greene, MO census, age 38, but Wiley Roper is not in the census. The children are listed as follows: Davitt, age 14; Margaret, age 13; Russel, age 11; John, age 9; William, age 7; George, age 5; and Wiley, age 2. Minerva Roper next appears in the 1870 Osage, Benton, AR census, age 55, with her husband Wiley Roper, age 55. These ages do not match up with the earlier census records, but they are obviously the same people. The children listed are John, age 18; William, age 16; George, age 14; Wiley, age 12; Lula, age 10; Mary, age 7; and Myrtie, age 2. There is also a Redon Stephens, age 22 listed in the household, who "labors on farm", from North Carolina. Minerva Roper next appears in the 1880 Harrison, Chautauqua, Kansas census as age 57, born TN abt. 1823. Her husband is Wiley B. Roper, b. TN, age 65, whose parents were both born in North Carolina. George, Wiley B., Lula, Myrtle, John W., and Margaret are still living in the household. There is also a grandson Claudie Roper, age 1, living in the household. Finally, a Margaret White, age 22, listed as a daughter, is residing with two grandchildren, Bruce White, age 5, and Gracie White, age 3. Secondary sources show a John Fry, aka Johann Rowan Frey, b. Jan. 11, 1779, Rowan, NC, d. May 10, 1854, Giles, TN, and a Margaret Evans, as the parents of Minerva Fry Roper. A John Fry is shown in the 1850, District 15, Giles, TN census as age 71, b. abt. 1779, NC. His wife is shown as Margaret Fry, age 72, b. NC. A Sarah McQuigg, age 9, and Jesse McQuigg, age 6, are residing in the household. Additionally, there is a Manerva Jane Cumpton, age 13, and "Mary Abbeonatty", age 14, b. abt. 1836, TN. "Mary Abbeonatty" looks more like Mary Abbernathy to me. David Y. Roper is shown by secondary sources as being married to Dionysia Abernathy. Secondary sources even state that David Y. Roper and Dionysia Abernathy were married on October 27, 1809, in Robertson, TN, although I cannot find the record of this. David Y. Roper can be seen in the 1840 Giles, TN census on page 133 of the Ancestry.com records. On the same page 133, the name John Abernathy appears. He is age 40-50, his presumed wife is 30-40, and there are, among others, five children <5 years old. On the previous page 131 of full names, there is a M. P. Abernathy listed, and on the next preceding page 129 of full names, there is a R. G. Abernathy. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>