Tope Family Page

     Last Saturday morning about 9 o'clock James H. Tope. Jr., was run over by a dray wagon which he was driving. Shortly after six o'clock the same evening his spirit fled, while in the St. Joseph a Hospital at the Cape. His mortal remains were borne to Lilbourn and all of Sunday and early Monday morning they were viewed by hundreds of friends and relatives.
     Monday morning at nine o'clock the funeral procession started from the home to the Baptist Tabernacle, which latter was filled to it's capacity. "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere," "My Latest Sun is Sinking Fast" and "Nearer My God To Thee" were beautifully sung by the choir, composed of Mesadames N. M. Castleberry, Jr., J.T. Gillespie, T. A. Wood Jr., and Miss Gladys Long, with Mrs. G. W. Wilson at the piano. The Baptist pastor, Rev. A. J. Johnson conducted the services, both at the Tabernacle and at the grave in New Hope cemetery south of Marston to which a large number journeyed via auto. Floral offerings were carried by flower girls, the Misses Edith Richey and 'Bunch' Rhodes. The Pall Bearers were: Carl Fitz, Coy Bynum, Luther Berry, Ethan Wolff, John Hearn and Arthur Johnson.
     All of Jimmy's immediate family were present at the funeral: father, mother, sister, Mrs. Katie Crosnoe, seven brothers, Ike from Anniston, Ralph, Fred, from Risco, Harold and his twin brother Harry, who dropped his work in Kansas reaching here in time, Leslie and 'Bill.' Also his brother-in-law, sisters-in-law and their children. His aunts, sister of his mother, Miss Lizzie Moore and Mrs Sadie Robertson of Paducah, Kentucky, were detained in Cairo by bad train connections. Mr. Tope's brother, Will, of Rockwood, Illinois, and his sister, Mrs. Cloah Tindall of Chester, Illinois, were unable to reach here in time.
     Jimmy was born in Rockwood, Illinois, February 20th, 1902, went to Anniston, Missouri, September 22, 1908, and removed to Lilbourn May 22nd, 1912, where he has lived ever since, graduating from the eighth grade and making friends of everyone, who will always remember his cheery smile.
     "I am going to have my hair cut before dinner, mother." cheerily remarked Jimmy as he left the home to be brot back on a stretcher at nine o'clock. At the Cape Hospital the same evening, in a partial return to consciousness a half hour before he died Jimmy looked at his father, with a yearning appeal and whispered "Take me home, Daddy."
     By these two expressions among others, the character of the boy whose young life was snuffed out in the twinkling of an eye was shown. Jimmie was a home boy, preferring home to any other place on earth and had never cared to travel as far as the Cape, where he was brot in the vain hope something might be done to prolong his life. Throughout the period of time from nine in the morning when he was injured and 6:25 in the eve of the same day when his lungs filled from an internal hemorrhage, Jimmie was brave and very solicitous that his dear father and mother and brothers and Sisters and countless friends need not worry about him.
     The accident occurred at the depot as he started to drive a runaway team hitched to a heavily loaded dray. The traces were down and as the team started up the pole dropped and was imbedded deeply in the ground, while Jimmy was thrown from the dray in front of it. The horses circled and as they did so dragged the dray over Jimmy's chest, crushing the ribs on the right side, puncturing this lung. In an endeavor to stop the team Gene Ross was kicked by the horses and his hand and side were bruised, tho not seriously.
     Many willing hands placed Jimmy upon a stretcher and carried him home. There he received all the careful attention that could be given, and at noon was carried on a cot to the station where, with his father and Dr. E. E. Jones boarded the train for the Cape. On the way the train was delayed 80 minutes on account of slipping of a tire on the engine drive and as it stopped the breeze caused by the train in motion ceased, his father continued fanning Jimmy who on being asked how he felt, said, "Alright, while you are not away." altho his father had not left him for a minute.
     About the time he began to lose consciousness and was in that state when upon the operating table.
     He was an industrious and well intentioned lad. He is gone but not forgotten.

(Spelling is as it was written in 1921)