Welcome to Darrell's Genealogy Stories

It was the "Roaring Twenties", with prosperity, peace, and marvelous new inventions, not to mention the popular Ragtime music and even "talkie" movies.  Yes, life was good, and that was especially true for a young couple from Le Mars, Iowa.  They had 2 growing boys, a new car, a good job, and a rental home.  The wife's older sister and brother-in-law were making good money on a farm near Lake Benton, MN, and a nearby farm had just come up for rent, with good terms.  They decided to rent the farm, cultivate the land, grow crops, and raise livestock.  Life was good.   All went well, and then came the stock market crash of 1929.  Even though thousands lost their life savings, and even more lost jobs, things were tolerable.  Then came the drought.  A combination of poor farming methods and drought caused extensive soil erosion.  A grasshopper infestation compounded the problem, and crop losses were massive.  Animals died from disease or...

Even in the depths of the Great Depression, people prepared for Christmas as best they could.  Trees were decorated, Christmas carols could be heard on the radio or home record players, and churches celebrated with choral music and children's programs.  The First Baptist Church in Le Mars, Iowa, was no exception.  The choir was practicing for their Christmas cantata and candy had been purchased to give to the parishioners at the upcoming Christmas Eve service. The Reverend S. A. Jones lived next door to the church, in the parsonage the church provided for him and his wife.  Wednesday afternoon, December 16, 1936, was a normal day for him.  He had finished for the day and was at home when Doris Coppock stopped to ask for the key to the church.  This was not unusual as Doris filled in as church musician at times, and she wanted to practice on the piano for the upcoming Christmas concert. Doris and her husband Harold had 3 small children, one just 3 months old...

Meredith Wilson, an Iowa native, wrote "The Music Man" for Broadway, and it starred Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill.  It later became a movie, also starring Preston; and last year, Hugh Jackman took the lead in a Broadway revival.  The show starts out on a train in the early 1900's in Iowa.  The riders are all traveling salesmen.  (Yes, they were all men in those days, sad to say.) Anyway, they are all grumbling about this upstart salesman that cons people in to buying band instruments for their kids.  Once the instruments arrive, he disappears.  Unbeknownst to the others, Harold Hill was aboard that train.  Just before he quietly slipped off the train in River City, Iowa, one of the salesman said, "But he doesn't know the territory".  That became the title of a Meredith Wilson biography. It always reminded me of my great-grandfather Harvey J Coppock, a traveling salesman in the early years of the 20th century.  Harvey would be gone f...

  Today, December 13, 2022, marks the 105th birthday of my Dad, Clyde Ferguson Coppock.  For David, Kim, Suzie, and Bill, he is the grandfather you never had the pleasure to know.  He would have been so proud of all of you, including his great-grandchildren.  Jan and I were lucky to have him as a father and a confidant during our youth and teenage years.  Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see us as adults.  He died of kidney failure on March 1, 1965, at the age of 47. Dad loved football and fishing.  His happiest moments, I think, were the summers we spent at Battle Lake, where he could relax, fish, swim, and not have to deal with business matters at Coppock Motors, Inc.  He and Mother were wonderful parents, encouraging us and supporting us in everything we did.   He was an active member of First Baptist, serving as a long-time Deacon, singing in the choir and as a soloist at times, and participating in several church activities.  Dad ha...

 Hello Family, Yes, it's been over a year since a new Coppock family blog was published.  We had 4 weddings, lots of travel (after COVID restrictions were lifted), and the creative juices just weren't flowing.  However, I am very happy to resume what I hope will be more interesting family stories in the months ahead.   Before we recognize our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers who were veterans, I have a very special announcement:  last evening I was notified that my application to the Sons of the American Revolution had been APPROVED!  😀 🇺🇸   This has been a work in progress for over 3 years, with lots of genealogy research needed for the application.  Needless to say, this Veterans Day is a very special one for me, and for our family.  To qualify, a candidate must supply hard evidence that he is a blood relative of a Revolutionary War patriot.  Our "patriot" is William Jay .  Here is the story. William Jay was born S...

  Coppock family history would not be complete without mentioning Le Mars, Iowa, home to over four generations of Coppock's..  Harvey J Coppock, our great-grandfather, and his young wife Mary Jane (Horton) moved from Carroll County, Iowa, to Le Mars in the mid-1880's.  The original Coppock house was located on Silver Street (believed to now be 8th Street SW). Six Coppock children (4 daughters and 2 sons) were born and raised in that house, including our grandfather, Arnold Coppock.   In 1910, the population of Le Mars was about 4,100.  The history of Le Mars dates back to the early 1850's when white settlers arrived to the region known as Plymouth County.  In 1869, the town got its name when railroad builder John Blair arrived by special train with a company of officials and a group of ladies.  Legend has it that the ladies wrote down the 1st initials of their 1st names and created the town's name from those letters.  Whatever, the railroad juncti...

  Edwin Coppock was hanged for treason on December 16, 1859, in Charlestown, Virginia.  Was he a spy for a foreign country?  No.  Did he defect from the U.S. Army?  No.  Is he one of our ancestors?  Yes and no.  Edwin Coppock, born June 30, 1835, is a distant cousin.  His great-great grandfather John Coppock had several sons, among them John (our direct ancestor) and Samuel (Edwin's great grandfather). Have you ever heard of the abolitionist John Brown?  He was very active in anti-slavery campaigns in the United States during the 1850's.  While trying to raise money and volunteers in Springdale, Iowa,  Edwin and his brother Barclay, both Quakers, became avid followers.  John Brown eventually recruited 22 men to follow him to Virginia, to rage war against southern slavery; however, he needed ammunition to do so.     On October 16, 1859, they raided the military arsenal in Harper's Ferry, VA.  Several soldiers...

Spring is just "around the corner".  Daylight Savings Time, the vernal equinox, and warmer weather are here, or close at hand.  With spring, we are reminded of the poem, "Love Springs Eternal", and with good reason. It is certainly true for our family in this spring of 2021.  You'll learn why in this blog, but let's first read the final lines of Anthony Halat's poem: ".... She enchanted him, he fascinated her, Shyness and sadness, no longer alone in the lands, Bound together with shared demands, Felt by both, 'Love springs eternal'. A life of bliss, spirits entwined, Love that is pure in spirit and mind. Life mates forever, happiness found in the land, Touched by fate's tender hands, Love springs eternal!       -      Anthony Halat Our granddaughter Kiley Coppock said "Yes", and just like that, she and Mason Vogel became engaged in early February of this year.  They both grew up in the Hunter's Ridge area in Marion, attende...

The Coppock's were a relatively small family, especially for the 1940's and 1950's, when several children were usually the norm..  As a result, we were quite close, always having birthdays and holiday celebrations together.  The photo below was in the early 1950's at our house on Christmas. Ashton and Dorothy and cousin Connie are to the left; Jan and I are sitting on the floor, with our parents Helen and Clyde behind us.  Grandpa and Grandma Coppock are far right.  That was our family! It's funny, but since the late 1890's, none of the Coppock's ever left Le Mars.  They married hometown sweethearts, lived and worked there, and rarely left except for vacations.  That all changed in 1963 when Ashton announced that he was taking a service manager's job at a Rambler dealership in Denver.  He and Dorothy, along with Dorothy's Mother and Connie, moved to Northglenn, CO.   After graduating from High School in 1964, Connie Coppock attended Colorado Women...

January 11, 2021 - Chicago, Illinois:  Cameron Lee Strellner was born to Erin (Coppock) and Ben Strellner.  Both baby and mother are healthy and doing well, and Ben is a happy Dad.  Congratulations!   I'm not sure what makes us feel older:  being great-grandparents, or David being a grandfather!!  Wow! Ben and Erin were married on August 11, 2018, in Marion, Iowa.  They are both 2009 graduates of Linn-Mar High School in Marion.  Erin received her Bachelor's Degree from Iowa State University in 2013.  She was a 4-year member of the Iowa State Dance Team.  Ben is a graduate of Coe College, where he was a pitcher for the baseball team.   They lived for a time in Scottsdale, AZ, before moving to Chicago. Kathy and I are so looking forward to meeting our new great-grandson, but we will wait for warmer weather in the Midwest, along with hoping that the COVID-19 pandemic will ease up in the months ahead.   In conclusion, Cameron now ...

Janice Kay Coppock was born on this date 75 years ago in Le Mars, Iowa, to Helen (Kern) and Clyde Coppock .  She joined her brother Darrell at their home at 608 3rd Avenue, SE.   The family later moved to 809 2nd Avenue, SE, where they lived until Jan was 12 years old.  The photos below range from about 1950 - 1956.   In elementary school, she was quite tall for her age.  Jan enjoyed all types of games and sports.  She took piano lessons for several years, and she enjoyed reading and playing outside with friends.  We both enjoyed music, and one year, we sold Christmas cards to the neighbors, earning enough money to buy our own pink and gray 45 rpm record player.  Elvis was our favorite! In junior high and high school, she was a cheerleader, drum majorette for the marching band, and a member of the Sparkettes drill team.  Jan graduated from LCHS in 1964, and she graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, MO, in 1966, with an Associate of Ar...