TOPE FAMILY PAGE

50 ii. Golda Blanch⁵Tope, born 20 November 1886;¹² died 14 May 1888.¹³  Golda is buried next to her mother in Wren Cemetery, Willshire Twp., Van Wert County, Ohio.¹⁴

William and Viola Tope had three children:

+51 i. Ray Forest⁵ Tope, born 20 March 1894.

+52 ii. Russel Lee⁵ Tope, born 20 September 1896 in Van Wert County, Ohio.

+53 iii. Harry Deloyd⁵ Tope, born 6 March 1900 in Van Wert County, Ohio.

Generation No. 5

49   Roy Beiler⁵ Tope (William Vance⁴, Levi³, George², John¹) was born 3 October 1884 on the Levi Tope farm in Willshire Twp., Van Wert County, Ohio,¹⁵ and died 31 August 1971 in the Rush Memorial Hospital, Rushville, Indiana. He is buried in the Ben Davis Cemetery, Union Twp., Rush County, Indiana. These words are inscribed his tombstone, "born in Wren, Ohio."

    On 31 December 1890, Roy and Eiton D. Beeler, son of Cicero Beiler, as the only living heirs of Cicero Bieler (note the variations in spelling in the deed) received Van Wert County, Ohio, property from Mary Jane Merica. With Roy being only 7 years old, the court appointed William V. Tope as guardian, and authorized sale of the property. The property was sold to Eiton Beeler, he being the highest bidder, for $600.00 on 17 March 1891.¹⁶

    Roy's secondary education was obtained at Carson & Newman College in Jefferson City, Jefferson County, Tennessee between 1905 and 1907. Prior to that he was a schoolteacher from 1902 to 1904 in the Hurless School, Harrison Township, Ohio. Later he was a storekeeper in Tipton, Indiana, Chicago, Illinois, finally in Glen wood, Indiana.

    Roy's next venture into the retail business was the "Craig & Tope Department Store," and that was followed with a third store, the "Reo Sales Company, Motor Cars & Trucks" with Don Tresidder as partner.

    He regularly attended Baptist church services, read his Bible and was a man of faith.

Roy married Juanita Tresidder on 24 September 1914 in Tipton, Tipton County, Indiana. She was born 15 January 1891 in Tipton, Tipton County,