TOPE FAMILY PAGE

  23. Melville Freeman⁴ Tope (Levi³, George², John¹) was born 13 April 1856 in Allen County, Ohio¹ and died 25 November 1913 in Van Wert County, Ohio.² He married Ellen Mary Woods, daughter  of William Woods and Elizabeth Foss, on 6 January 1880 in Van Wert County, Ohio.³ She was born 11 March 1863⁴  and died 3 November 1922 at her home in Wren, Van Wert County, Ohio.⁵ Melville resided on the north half of Levi's farm.

  Melville died thirteen hours after being thrown from a lumber wagon. On the afternoon of 24 November 1913, he and Ellen hitched a team of young horses to a lumber wagon in the barnyard at their home, one mile north of Wren. The team became unmanageable, tipped the wagon and dragged Melville between the wagon and a wire fence. The wagon wheels passed over the upper part of his body, fracturing several ribs and otherwise injuring him internally, causing his death after midnight the next day.⁶

  Ellen managed to climb out of the wagon when the horses bolted, and although she was too frightened to help her husband, she was the first to summon assistance. Melville suffered internal hemorrhage and, after being carried into the house, he told the friends present that his injuries were fatal.⁷

  His funeral service was held in the United Brethren church at Wren on 27

November 1913. Melville and Ellen are buried in the Wren Cemetery, Wren, Van Wert County, Ohio.⁸

Melville and Ellen Tope had five children:

+54 i. Grace Elizabeth⁵ Tope, born 29 September 1884 in Van Wert County, Ohio.

+55 ii. Earnest J. Tope, born 8 March 1891 in Wren, Van Wert County, Ohio.

+56 iii. William Groce Tope, born 25 November 1896 in Wren, Van Wert

County, Ohio.

+57 iv. Zeila Klone Tope born 13 April 1899 in Wren, Van Wert County, Ohio.