Philip R Kopp - Looking for info on Charles Dewitt Kopp

Hi Steph...I haven't been on here for a long time, either :) It's too hard to keep up with too many databases. I'll link to you. Since I haven't looked at this for awhile, I'm not sure what there is...but it should be mostly good. I'm always finding new information so I might need to update it. Anyway, have fun!!

Well, I looked at my tree and someone has linked a whole new WRONG family to my Dillon's. Elizabeth Dillon died in childbirth, yet these stupid people linked to her daughter who died 9 months later! Gave Elizabeth a bunch more children after she died, AND they all live in Pennsylvania not Missouri. What a mess! Welcome to the world of amateurs

Hi Jeanne!!!! Oh wow. I finally found my way here to genie chat.. yay. Oh my.. I hope I wasn't the stupid one who did that... by default.. Since our last conversation, I have been adding ONLY missing Dates and places... MANUALLY. TY for warning me. This is fascinating and amazing, but I see what you mean... I rejected quite a few.. they had weird dates... and there were a couple than had ODD names, or they said "unknown." for the Source, so I just rejected them... I am now trying to focus on a HANDFUL of "sources" instead of trying to confirm each and every one. (Too many relatives) on my Wells/Hammett side... lol... but I have found a few that are or seem more true and "consistent, than the others. YOUR Kopp tree has helped me a Great deal. I was looking at some of the dates... omg... if I had started this just a few yrs earlier, I think of how much more info I may have gleaned, if some of your family were still around to share possible personal stories of my grandpa. I only heard the bad parts... but he loved and married my grandma, so he can't be all bad... : )) "According to my Dad," his father Charlie was a "rolling stone." Always "on the move", he was considered a "DANDY" in his time, "full of Big, Grand IDEAS of Grandeur." "Full of himself, self-centered." "A Dreamer, always looking for that One Big Break, that Never happened." Before he went into the Navy, HE trekked down to Harlingen, TX looking for his dad, Charlie. (I am not clear how he "knew" where to look,) but He DID Find him, but that they Never SPOKE. But he said he KNEW that Charlie HAD SEEN Him. Then, a time later, not sure when, Dad was still "troubled" internally, with bitterness and resentment, Dad said he went back to Texas, Again he Found his father Charlie, this time, in Tyler, Texas, with a woman named "Rosa" and had a whole new "family." (THAT Had to be a Bitter pill for My Dad). This time, they sat down and TALKED, (apparently about EVERYTHING) the past, WHY he Left the family, WHY he never returned, etc. Dad NEEDED Straight answers, for his Own Peace of Mind. "According to My Dad", Grandpa Charlie told my dad that he "Left" to try to "find a better life" he fully expected to come back and "Make his family Proud," but everything he tried Failed, time and time again, it got Harder and harder to come back and "Face the Family." as a Failure....apparently, Over time, it got Easier for HIS Conscience, to just Stay away. Charlie also TOLD Dad that he DID "SEE" him in Harlingen, Texas before, AND HAD RECOGNIZED him "By his Gray-Blue eyes." Dad left, and Never saw his Dad again. I believe My Dad felt that At last, he At Least, Got his Answers FINALLY, and finally Found Peace with God, and himself. Dad RARELY EVER spoke of his Dad. My Dad ADORED His Mother. This little bit of info is ALL I ever knew aboit my Grandfather, Charles "Charlie" DeWitt Kopp. I just wanted to Share. Oh yes... a few yrs ago, I found, in my Grandma's personal papers, a scrap of paper... a note from a lady in Kentucky, apparently, Charlie was traveling thru..." traveling salesman?" IDK, but while he was "passing thru," he apparently "Stayed with these people" maybe a boarding house of sorts ?? who knows, that's my guess, anyways, the paper states that Charlie got pneumonia and died there in Guthrie, Kentucky. I don't know how this lady knew how to "contact" my grandma, but she did.... That is the end of my "Charlie" Kopp story.... and, "Charlie" was the Main reason I even started on a family genealogy journey.... lol. Go Figure.... but it led me to find a long lost "Kopp" cousin that I never knew existed... for which I am grateful and thankful.

OMGosh! What a wonderful story! My Grandpa Hillard never talked about his family much either. I think he must have lost touch with all the family that was still in Missouri. His dad William Peter Levi Kopp, who was Philip's brother, left MO in 1890 to go to Los Angeles. I kept trying to find his brothers and sisters, and I think they all stayed in Boonville, except Effie Jane. She married Charles Binley and I still have some puzzle to finish to see when they came to Los Angeles. My dad didn't remember ever meeting her, seems strange, she lived until 1959. Anyway, the reason my grandpa wouldn't talk about the family is because Wm P.L. left his wife when grandpa was 9, and my grandpa quit school and worked in the oil fields. He supported his mom and sisters. Wm John, grandpa's brother was around a little bit, but died before I was born. His mom Lizzie never re-married. All of the older men were barbers and my gr grandpa Wm P.L. worked for many fancy barber shops in downtown L.A. Grandpa's oldest sister married a wealthy man who was kinda 'mafia', owned property in the original Las Vegas with Sinatra and all those. His youngest sister Laura was a spinster and grandpa supported her till she died in 1974. I think they didn't hang out together because they kept a relationship with their dad, but my grandpa was bitter. He never seemed that way...he was the funniest, most gentle man...but he destroyed all the photos he had of his family, even his sisters. Also, all of the older men that I knew of were masons, from the time they came from Germany. When gr grandpa Wm P.L. got sick he didn't go into a rest home in CA...not sure how he ended up in VA. But I have a letter he wrote to the Elk's Rest Home asking for permission to live there. When I contacted them they said he had no next of kin listed in his files. I don't think he ever re-married, so not sure why he would go so far away. I need to look in my notes, because there was someone else living in KY. Did you go to the tree in Ancestry? I've been working on my mom's side lately, but I will go back to the Kopp's and we will work together. I need to fill in the blanks for Wm C and Melissa Ann Mills children. Also Philip's family. I met a man from Boonville back in the 80's when I was first on a computer. He is related to Philip's sister Elizabeth Albertina. He helped me a lot with the history, and then I went to Boonville in 2009 and found a lot of land records, and cemetery records. I have so much to show you...we need to get together soon :)

Ohhhhh, NO it wasn't you...it was someone else in Pennsylvania! And Geni fixed it already :) I was surprised, but my note to them was not very nice, because the staff is not supposed to allow connections without checking it out.

Wow wow wow. That is Soo Interesting... Now that you mentioned it, I DO Remember Dad or Grandma talking about how Charlie's family were BARBERS !!! I am Not Positive, but I THINK I remember them saying that Charlie's Dad or grandpa ran a Barber Shop in "Bunceton", MO. Maybe it was Booneville, not sure, but around that area. THAT would "kind of" explain grandpa Charlie's "penchant" for his "Dandy" personna... lol... back in the day, a barber shop really "did the men up".. real stylish-like... lol OK. ALL of My INFO on YOUR Branch of KOPP clan, I got from YOU. TY. Now, I will TRY to give You ALL the INFO on MY Branch... ummmm I just went over it all on My Heritage site. At This Moment, it's as complete as I have gotten so far.... or, I will EMAIL YOU the INFO as I have it ALL Written out on paper, to keep me straight. Lol.... I Still need to get more Current Dates on Cuzn Kathy and her sibs... but I am sure she WILL be willing to help us with that. : )) CAN YOU EXTRACT FROM "MyHeritage " site automatically or manually ???? If not, .. I WILL PUT MY INFO IN AN EMAIL for you to "examine." Lol. IF I get time, (supposed to be working) haha, I will see what other stuff I can dig up... I don't want Bob hollering at me for being a "slacker". Bahaha. Hope to hear from you soon. : ) NOTE: "meeting" is not an option for me, but I Fully intend to keep in full contact with you. : ))