TOPE FAMILY PAGE

    Hiram signed all of his military pension records, with the exception of a
1915 paper that was signed with an "X" indicating he was not able to write
owing to age or physical problems.
    Frances Gates, one of six children, was bom 23 December 1846 near Ship-
pen, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. She died on 12 November 1920 in
Paulding County, Ohio, at the age of 73 years, 10 months, 19 days.¹³ She was
baptized in the Lutheran church when she was very young, perhaps in in-
fancy. While still quite young, she moved with her parents to Van Wert
County, Ohio, where she grew to womanhood. Frances signed many papers
in the pension records and must have had a fairly good education.

On 16 November 1920, Frances' funeral service was held at the Methodist

Episcopal Church in Latty, Paulding County, Ohio, and she was buried at St.

Paul Cemetery, Paulding County, Ohio.¹⁴

    Hiram and Frances Tope had eight children:
+25 i. Emma Viola5 Tope, bom 20 August 1867, Van Wert County, Ohio.
+26 ii. Almina Lucinda Tope, bom 26 February 1870, Van Wert County
Ohio.
+27 iii. Sarah Alice Tope, bom 5 May 1872, Van Wert County, Ohio.
+28 iv. Levi frederick Tope, bom 6 November 1874, Paulding County, Ohio.
+29 v. Edna Jane Tope, bom 21 April 1877, Paulding County, Ohio.
+30 vi. Dora Myrtle Tope, bom 25 August 1879, Paulding County, Ohio.
+31 vii. Edith Belle Tope, born 1 July 1882, Paulding County, Ohio.
+32 viii. Elza Tope, bom 6 March 1887, Paulding County, Ohio.

Generation No. 5

25. i Emma Viola⁵ Tope (Hiram⁴ Levi³, George^2, John¹) was bom 20 August
1867 in Willshire Township, Van Wert County, Van Wert, Ohio¹⁵ and died on
21 February 1914 in her parents' home in Briceton, Paulding County, Ohio, at
the age of 46 years, 6 months and 1 day.¹⁶ Her funeral was also held in her
parents' home. Emma married Commodore Perry,¹⁷ son of St. Clair Roush
and Mary Jane McCullick, on 21 August 1886 in Paulding County, Ohio.^18/19.
He was bom 7 August 1855 in Indiana,²⁰ possibly in Chester Township, Wells
County, where his parents are found in I860,²¹ and died 9 March 1915 in

¹³Ohio Death Certificate Index, Vol No: 343, Certificate Number; 7174, The Ohio Historical Society online database.
¹⁴Cemetery Inscriptions, Paulding County, Ohio to 1986, (Paulding County Genealogical Society), p. 468.
¹⁵Paper, author unknown, "Levi Tope," Undated.
¹⁶Obituary, Obituaries of Paulding County. Ohio. ob sit, bk. 1, p. 536.
¹⁷Some records spell his name as Comadore.
¹⁸Marriage Records, Probate Court, Paulding County, Ohio, Bk. 4, 1886-1892, p. 43, no. 130.
A Commodore Roush married Sarah Miller on 6 Dec 1877 in Wells County, Indiana, raising the possibility of a marriage prior to marrying Emma Tope (Wells County Indiana bk C-f p. 138).
^!9Ohio Death Certificate, Vol. 2189, Cert. No. 13234.
²⁰Mortality Records, Paulding County, Ohio. Through 1993 gives his birth date.
²¹Census, 1860, Chester Township, Wells County, Indiana, p. 1022