|
JOHN EVERETT COPE
THE FOLLOWING IS HISTORICAL INFORMATION OF MY GREAT GRANDFATHER, JOHN EVERETT COPE. THE HISTORY DOCUMENTED HERE WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY FATHER JOHN EDGAR COPE. SOME OF THE DATES, I HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED EXACTLY AND SOME WERE ESTIMATED.
NOT SURE WHERE JOHN COPE ORIGINATED BUT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE TOM GREEN COUNTY OF TEXAS. HIS WIFE, LUCREDA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF A VERY WEALTHY PREACHER (LAST NAME RAY) AND OWNED ABOUT A SECTION OF LAND IN TOM GREEN COUNTY WHICH IS NOW STEARLIN CITY AND ALSO STERLIN COUNTY. IT WAS THERE IN JUNE 5, 1887 THAT MY GRANDFATHER WILLIAM (WILLIE) EDGAR COPE WAS BORN AND WAS THE YOUNGEST OF JOHN EVERETT'S CHILDREN. FROM THIS INFORMATION I AM GOING TO ESTIMATE THAT JOHN WOULD HAVE BEEN BORN ABOUT 1845. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF HIS DEATH IN 1919.
JOHN WAS A VETERAN OF THE CIVIL WAR BUT NOT SURE WHERE HE WAS STATIONED OR DATES THAT HE GOT OUT OF THE WAR. IF THESE DATES ARE ACCURATE, JOHN WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT TWENTY YEARS OLD AT THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR 1865. DOCUMENTATION SHOWS THAT HE WAS A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER. I HAVE FOUND NOTHING ELSE IN REFERENCE TO JOHN AND THE CIVIL WAR.
APPERANTLY, JOHN'S ELDEST SON MADISON EVERETT COPE WAS LIVING IN FORT STOCKTON PRIOR TO 1900. MADISON IS BURRIED IN THE OLD FORT CEMETERY AND I BELIEVE STILL MARKED. MADISON (MATT) WAS KILLED IN 1901. HE WAS DRUG TO DEATH BY A HORSE AND "HAD A RANCH" SOUTHEAST OF FORT STOCKTON REFFERENCED AS "THE OLD BUD PRICE PLACE". HIS WIFE'S NAME WAS TILDA AND THEY HAD THREE CHILDREN, ERNESTINE, EVERETT, AND EARL COPE.
ALSO LIVING IN FORT STOCKTON, AT THAT TIME WAS ANOTHER SON OF JOHN EVERETT WHOSE NAME WAS TOM COPE. TOM "TOOK OVER THE OLD INK RANCH NORTH OF FORT STOCKTON AFTER MADISON WAS KILLED". TOM'S WIFE'S NAME WAS MAGGIE AND THEY HAD FOUR CHILDREN. TOMMY LEE, JACK, WILLARD, & JESSE COPE. I HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT MAGGIE WAS AN INDIAN. HER MAIDEN NAME WAS VALENTINE. I ALSO HAVE FOUND THAT WILLARD COPE WAS KILLED IN WORLD WAR II
"TOM AND MAGGIE ARE BOTH BURRIED IN THE OLD VALENTINE PLOT AT THE CEMETERY" (NOT SURE WHAT CEMETARY)
I WAS TOLD BY MY FATHER THAT MY GREATGRANDFATHER AND YOUNGEST SON WILLIAM EDGAR CAME TO FORT STOCKTON IN 1900 AND WAS IN THE FREIGHT HAULING BUSINESS. HE SAID THAT MUCH OF THE STONE FOR THE PECOS COUNTY COURT HOUSE AND JAIL WAS HAULED BY MY GREATGRANDFATHER.
JOHN'S YOUNGEST SON WILLIAM (WILLIE ALSO CALLED BILL) WAS A DEPUTY FOR PECOS COUNTY FROM 1945 TO LATE 1960'S. WILLIAM COPE DIED IN 1971 AND BURRIED IN EAST HILL CEMETERY.HIS WIFE 'S NAME WAS MARY AND TOGETHER THEY HAD ONE SON, JOHN EDGAR COPE WHO WAS MY FATHER WHO DIED IN 1994 AND IS BURRIED IN EAST HILL CEMETERY IN FORT STOCKTON.
DOCUMENTED : 12/20/2001 BY JOHN EDWARD COPE
|
