This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Roper Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/786.1 Message Board Post: It appears to me that the individual you are seeking is Rhoda Lavada ROPER (b 9 Mar 1891 - Indian Territory, d 25 May 1981 - Oklahoma), daughter of Henry Clay and Zora ROPER. She may be found at age 9 residing with her parents and siblings in Township 5, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, in the 1900 Census enumeration. Her father is shown in that enumeration as H. C. ROPER, age 41 (b Oct 1858 - KY) and Zora ROPER, age 32 (b Nov 1867 - MS). The Census record shows Rhoda ROPER to have been born in March 1891. Secondary sources show Henry Clay ROPER to have been born on 14 OCT 1858 in Paducah County [sic], KY, and to have died on 22 SEP 1944 at Ada, OK. (Please note that Paducah is actually a city in McCracken County, KY.) Secondary sources show Henry's wife to be Zora COWART (b 24 NOV 1867 - Jackson County, MS, d 17 JUN 1945 - Ada, OK). This couple is shown to have married on 24 DEC 1886. Perhaps you may obtain Henry Clay ROPER's death certificate to verify this infomration. Rhoda GRAYHAM is shown in the Social Security Death Index as having SSN 448-36-3702, being born on 09 Mar 1891 and having died in May 1981 in Oklahoma. If you use an SS-5 Letter to obtain her original application for a Social Security Number, it will presumably verify her parents names. * Henry C. ROPER, age 51, and Zora ROPER, age 42, were enumerated in Maxwell Township, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, in 1910. Henry C. ROPER is shown to have been born in Kentucky. His father is shwon to have been born in Kentucky and his mother is shown to have been born in VIRGINIA. Zora is shown to have been born in Mississippi. Her father is shown to have been born in Mississippi and her mother is shown to have been born in NORTH CAROLINA. Henry and Zora are shown to have been married 22 year (m abt 1888). This is shown to be Henry's SECOND MARRIAGE. This is consistent with the indication in the 1900 Census record that Henry's eldest two sons Liley and Alonzo had a mother who was born in Kentucky rather than Mississippi. Rhoda is shown to be age 19 that year and still single and living at home. Henry C. ROPER, age 61, and Zora ROPER, age 52, are shown to be residing in Ada, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, in 1920. Henry C. ROPER is again shown to have been born in Kentucky to parents each born in Kentucky. Zora is shown to have been born in Mississippi to parents each born in Mississippi. Henry C. ROPER, age 71, is again shown in the 1930 Census enumeration residing in Ada, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, with wife Zora [shown in the Index as "Lora"], age 62. Their places of birth and the birthplaces of the parents are identical to that shown in 1920. Henry is shown to have married at age 28 (abt 1886). Zora is shown to have married at age 19 (abt 1886). * There are NOT any readily apparent ROPER relatives living nearby Henry Clay ROPER within Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory. There IS a Jay Lillie ROPE, age 32 (b Nov 1867 - KY), whose parents were each shown to be born in Kentucky, residing within Township 9, Creek Nation, Indian Territory, in 1900. A STRONG clue that this Jay Lillie ROPER is related to Henry Clay ROPER is the given name of Henry Clay ROPER's eldest son "Liley ROPER", age 18 in 1900, born May 1882 - Indian Teritory. The second son, possibly Alonzo, was born in August 1884 in Arkansas. There is also a Robert J. ROPER, age 28 (b Dec 1871 - Georgia) residing with wife Vira, age 28 (b Jan 1871), and children Joseph, age 15 (b Feb 1885 - NC), John R., age 11 (b May 1889 - NC), and Clyde, age 2 (b abt Jul 1897 - IN), residing within this same Township 5, Chickasaw Nation. There is also a John H. ROPER, age 48 (b Feb 1852 - KY), residing in Hopkins County, Texas, in 1900. * Another clue to Henry Clay ROPER's identity may be the appearance of Charles ROPER, age 40 (b Dec 1859 - IN) in Paducah, McCracken County, KY, in 1900. This is the ONLY ROPER in Paducah that year. This Charles ROPER is shown to be born in Indiana to parents born in the District of Columbia and England. This Charles ROPER is shown to have been married to his wife Lucy, age 30 (b Mar 1870) for 12 years. They seem to have had three children, of whom two are living: George ROPER, age 7 (b Jul 1892), and Clyde ROPER, age 3 (b Jun 1897). There is a Charles ROPER, age 10 (b abt 1860 - IN), residing within the household of parents James and Charlotte ROPER, of Hobart, Lake County, IN, in the 1870 Census enumeration. James ROPER is shown to be age 51 and born in ENGLAND. Charlotte ROPER is age 51 and shown to have been born in ENGLAND. Children in this household are Philip, age 24 (b abt 1846 - England), Thomas, age 19 (b abt 1851 - England), James, age 17 (b abt 1853 - Michigan), Charlotte, age 14 (b abt 1856 - Michigan) and Charles H. ROPER, age 10 (b abt 1860 - Indiana). In the adjacent Census record is Edward B. ROPER, age 27 (b ab t 1843 - England), a Saloon Keeper, with wife Margaret ROPER, age 23 (b abt 1847 - Indiana), and his son James ROPER, age 2 (b abt 1868 - Indiana). There is also a Charles U. ROPER, age 10, residing with parents John H. ROPER, age 40, and Narcissus ROPER, age 28, in Roaring Springs, Trigg County, KY. John and Narcissus are shown to have married within the previous year in November. * Secondary sources I have consulted online do NOT show the identity of Henry Clay ROPER's parents. There are several candidates that merit consideration. In the 1880 Census, the BEST candidate would appear to be the Henry ROPER, age 21, shown to be residing within the household of Walter EDWARDS, age 30, and Margaret EDWARDS, age 23, of Titus, Texas. This Henry ROPER is shown to be Walter EDWARDS' brother-in-law and therefore, presumably, Margaret's brother. Titus is in North Texas near the Red River and therefore in close proximity to Indian Territory. But Henry ROPER's and Margaret EDWARDS' parents are shown to have been both born in North Carolina. This would appear to be the SAME Henry ROPER, age 12, enumerated in Titus, Texas, in the 1870 Census enumeration residing within the household of James ROPER, age 40, and Lucinda ROPER, age 36. This Henry ROPER is also shown to have been born in Texas and his paretns are each shown to have been born in North Carolina. In the 1860 Census enumeration, the most compelling candidate would appear to be Henry C. ROPER, age 1, son of Isaac S. ROPER, age 25, and Elizabeth ROPER, age 24, of Banks County, Georgia. But this Henry C. ROPER is shown to have been born in Georgia rather than Kentucky. Isaac S. and Elizabeth ROPER are shown to have continued to reside at Poplar Springs, Banks County, Georgia, in 1870 and Henry C. ROPER is no longer in the household that year. * The naming patterns of Henry C. ROPER's children give us some other clues regarding his relationships to other ROPER families. As aforementioned, there is an Alonzo ROPER (b Aug 1884 - AR), who might have been named for Alonzo S. ROPER (b abt 1861 - KY), son of William H. and Elizabeth ROPER, of Hickman, Fulton County, Kentucky. This William H. ROPER (b abt 1821 -KY) was the Sheriff of Fulton County in 1870. Similarly, secondary sources show one of Henry C. ROPER's children to be a Samuel Dutoy ROPER (b 22 Sep 1887, d 24 Oct 1888 - Indian Territory). "Dutoy" is a very uncommon name. A Dutoy ROPER (b Feb 1888 - TN) is shown in the household of Sloan and Sallie ROPER, of Lake County, TN. This Sloan ROPER is shown to have been born in Aug 1860 in Kentucky to paretns both born in Kentucky. Similarly, there is a "Dutah ROPER", age 35, with wife Burnette, age 28, residing in Lake County, TN, in 1870. He has sons Sloan, age 10, and Robert Lee , age 6, as well as daughter Amanda, age 3, residing in his household. Dutoy, Burnette, Sloan and Robert Lee are each shown to have been born in Kentucky. Amanda was born in Tennessee. Joseph A. ROPER, age 30, is enumerated inthe adjacent record and seems likely to be residing next door. Also in this household is Zulima ROPER, age 56, Leviza A. ROPER, age 23, and John C. ROPER, age 29. Each was born in Kentucky. In 1860, this same Dutoy ROPER, age 24, [Shown in the Ancestry.com index as "Duty ROPER"] is residing with wife Burnette, age 19, and Harriett ROPER, age 54, in Moscow, Hickman County, Kentucky. Dutoy and Burnette are shown to have been born in Kentucky. Harriett ROPER is shown to have been born in North Carolina. Elam ROPER, age 42, and his family is residing nearby. The 1850 Census shows Dutoy ROPER, age 15 [shown in the Ancestry Index as "Dutray ROPER"], residing with Harriett ROPER, age 45, M. ROPER, age 16, F, Joseph ROPER, age 13, and S.O. ROPER, age 7, F. Harriet is shown to have been born in North Carolina. The children were all born in Kentucky. Again, Elam ROPER, is nearby. There is also another Dutoy ROPER, age 15, in Fulton County, KY, residing in the household of John ROPER, age 33, and Nancy ROPER, age 24. This Dutoy is also shown to have been born in Kentucky, as was John ROPER. Nancy ROPER was born in Tennessee. The 1840 Census shows one Dutoy ROPER, and this Dutoy also resides in Hickman County, KY. This Dutoy ROPER is shown to be age 30 to 39 (b abt 1801-10). The wife is also shown to be of similar age. It seems most likely that Harriett ROPER (b abt 1805) is Dutoy ROPER's widow. The distribution of ages in Dutoy ROPER's 1840 household is consistent with the children found in Harriet ROPER's household in 1850: Dutoy ROPER: 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Image 3 of 80 at the Ancestry.com presentation of 1840 Census data for this jurisdiction.] I am therefore inclined to ascribe Henry Clay ROPER as the son of Joseph Allen ROPER and Amanda BUGG, who seem to have married on 16 Jan 1858 in Hickman County, KY. This Joseph Allen ROPER is identified witin secondary sources as the son of Dutoy and Harriett ROPER, as is shown in the Census records cited above. But please bear in mind that this is a tentative and SPECULATIVE ascription. * I hope that this information gives you sufficient traction to make a more thorough study of this family! Please let us know what else you are able to discover! * * * Also, if you know a male ROPER-surnamed member of this family, it would be useful to obtain a DNA sample for the ROPER DNA study.