Sam Hopkins was born on 18 Jul 1871 in Caplinger Mills, Cedar Co, MO to Benton and Martha (Simrell) Hopkins. Benton had been a union solider, and his grandfather, James Hopkins, had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Both the Hopkins and Simrell families were well known families in Cedar and Polk counties. In the 1880 census, Sam was listed as J.S. Hopkins, 8 years old, living with T.B. (Thomas Benton) and N. (Nancy) Hopkins. It would seem that originally, his first name was John. With no recorded birth certificate, one could officially use a middle name without any legal change.
Whichever his original first name, he was known as Sam, and was the youngest of five children. When he was only a few years old, his mother died and Benton married Martha's sister Nancy. Benton and Nancy had seven more children, one dying in infancy, leaving Sam six half-siblings who were also his cousins on his mother's side. Today this may be looked down upon, but in a day without modern medical miracles , when mothers not infrequently died in childbirth, it was common for people to keep in-laws in the family after the loss of a spouse. Not only did it keep the children connected to the family, but in a time when there was no daycare, it was practical for children to have a new mother who already knew them, and was related to them. In fact, after Nancy's death, Benton married Sadie Masters, a neighbor, and the widow of Martha and Nancy's cousin, John Simrell.
On 10 Oct 1891, Sam married Ida Jane Snodgrass, who also came from an old pioneer family which had been among the first settlers of Cooper Co. Sam and Ida settled in the Caplinger area and raised six children: Martha Belle (2 Nov 1893), Catherine Myrtle (13 Jul 1895), Elva Lewis (1 Aug 1898), William (Willie) Benton (2 Jan 1900), Maggie Jane (Jan 1903), and Benjamin (Bennie) James (4 April 1905). In addition to these six, Sam and Ida lost one son and one daughter in childbirth. In the 1900 census, a nephew, Walter S. Sumner (b. Jun 1881) was also living with the family.
When Bennie was small, the family moved from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, located on State Hwy 7, half way between Pittsburg and Fort Scott, in Sherman Township, Crawford Co. There Ida, with child, died 9 Aug 1908 of blood poisoning. It is not known whether she died of complications in pregnancy or in childbirth, but there is an unnamed infant buried next to her in the Farlington Cemetery. In the 1910 census, Samuel J. is listed with his six children from Martha 18, to Bennie 5.
In Jan 1911, Sam Hopkins' younger half-brother, Will, traveled from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, to visit his brother, just two weeks after Will was married. On Jan 20, Sam had been chasing cattle that day, but when Will said something about leaving, Sam insisted that they stay all night. Will went to put his horse away about 10:00 pm. Sam lay down and had died of heart failure before Will got back to the house. After laying him to rest next to his wife and infant child, the family was packed up and taken back to Cedar County to live with relatives.
Whichever his original first name, he was known as Sam, and was the youngest of five children. When he was only a few years old, his mother died and Benton married Martha's sister Nancy. Benton and Nancy had seven more children, one dying in infancy, leaving Sam six half-siblings who were also his cousins on his mother's side. Today this may be looked down upon, but in a day without modern medical miracles , when mothers not infrequently died in childbirth, it was common for people to keep in-laws in the family after the loss of a spouse. Not only did it keep the children connected to the family, but in a time when there was no daycare, it was practical for children to have a new mother who already knew them, and was related to them. In fact, after Nancy's death, Benton married Sadie Masters, a neighbor, and the widow of Martha and Nancy's cousin, John Simrell.
On 10 Oct 1891, Sam married Ida Jane Snodgrass, who also came from an old pioneer family which had been among the first settlers of Cooper Co. Sam and Ida settled in the Caplinger area and raised six children: Martha Belle (2 Nov 1893), Catherine Myrtle (13 Jul 1895), Elva Lewis (1 Aug 1898), William (Willie) Benton (2 Jan 1900), Maggie Jane (Jan 1903), and Benjamin (Bennie) James (4 April 1905). In addition to these six, Sam and Ida lost one son and one daughter in childbirth. In the 1900 census, a nephew, Walter S. Sumner (b. Jun 1881) was also living with the family.
When Bennie was small, the family moved from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, located on State Hwy 7, half way between Pittsburg and Fort Scott, in Sherman Township, Crawford Co. There Ida, with child, died 9 Aug 1908 of blood poisoning. It is not known whether she died of complications in pregnancy or in childbirth, but there is an unnamed infant buried next to her in the Farlington Cemetery. In the 1910 census, Samuel J. is listed with his six children from Martha 18, to Bennie 5.
In Jan 1911, Sam Hopkins' younger half-brother, Will, traveled from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, to visit his brother, just two weeks after Will was married. On Jan 20, Sam had been chasing cattle that day, but when Will said something about leaving, Sam insisted that they stay all night. Will went to put his horse away about 10:00 pm. Sam lay down and had died of heart failure before Will got back to the house. After laying him to rest next to his wife and infant child, the family was packed up and taken back to Cedar County to live with relatives.
Sam Hopkins was born on 18 Jul 1871 in Caplinger Mills, Cedar Co, MO to Benton and Martha (Simrell) Hopkins. Benton had been a union solider, and his grandfather, James Hopkins, had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Both the Hopkins and Simrell families were well known families in Cedar and Polk counties. In the 1880 census, Sam was listed as J.S. Hopkins, 8 years old, living with T.B. (Thomas Benton) and N. (Nancy) Hopkins. It would seem that originally, his first name was John. With no recorded birth certificate, one could officially use a middle name without any legal change.
Whichever his original first name, he was known as Sam, and was the youngest of five children. When he was only a few years old, his mother died and Benton married Martha's sister Nancy. Benton and Nancy had seven more children, one dying in infancy, leaving Sam six half-siblings who were also his cousins on his mother's side. Today this may be looked down upon, but in a day without modern medical miracles , when mothers not infrequently died in childbirth, it was common for people to keep in-laws in the family after the loss of a spouse. Not only did it keep the children connected to the family, but in a time when there was no daycare, it was practical for children to have a new mother who already knew them, and was related to them. In fact, after Nancy's death, Benton married Sadie Masters, a neighbor, and the widow of Martha and Nancy's cousin, John Simrell.
On 10 Oct 1891, Sam married Ida Jane Snodgrass, who also came from an old pioneer family which had been among the first settlers of Cooper Co. Sam and Ida settled in the Caplinger area and raised six children: Martha Belle (2 Nov 1893), Catherine Myrtle (13 Jul 1895), Elva Lewis (1 Aug 1898), William (Willie) Benton (2 Jan 1900), Maggie Jane (Jan 1903), and Benjamin (Bennie) James (4 April 1905). In addition to these six, Sam and Ida lost one son and one daughter in childbirth. In the 1900 census, a nephew, Walter S. Sumner (b. Jun 1881) was also living with the family.
When Bennie was small, the family moved from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, located on State Hwy 7, half way between Pittsburg and Fort Scott, in Sherman Township, Crawford Co. There Ida, with child, died 9 Aug 1908 of blood poisoning. It is not known whether she died of complications in pregnancy or in childbirth, but there is an unnamed infant buried next to her in the Farlington Cemetery. In the 1910 census, Samuel J. is listed with his six children from Martha 18, to Bennie 5.
In Jan 1911, Sam Hopkins' younger half-brother, Will, traveled from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, to visit his brother, just two weeks after Will was married. On Jan 20, Sam had been chasing cattle that day, but when Will said something about leaving, Sam insisted that they stay all night. Will went to put his horse away about 10:00 pm. Sam lay down and had died of heart failure before Will got back to the house. After laying him to rest next to his wife and infant child, the family was packed up and taken back to Cedar County to live with relatives.
Whichever his original first name, he was known as Sam, and was the youngest of five children. When he was only a few years old, his mother died and Benton married Martha's sister Nancy. Benton and Nancy had seven more children, one dying in infancy, leaving Sam six half-siblings who were also his cousins on his mother's side. Today this may be looked down upon, but in a day without modern medical miracles , when mothers not infrequently died in childbirth, it was common for people to keep in-laws in the family after the loss of a spouse. Not only did it keep the children connected to the family, but in a time when there was no daycare, it was practical for children to have a new mother who already knew them, and was related to them. In fact, after Nancy's death, Benton married Sadie Masters, a neighbor, and the widow of Martha and Nancy's cousin, John Simrell.
On 10 Oct 1891, Sam married Ida Jane Snodgrass, who also came from an old pioneer family which had been among the first settlers of Cooper Co. Sam and Ida settled in the Caplinger area and raised six children: Martha Belle (2 Nov 1893), Catherine Myrtle (13 Jul 1895), Elva Lewis (1 Aug 1898), William (Willie) Benton (2 Jan 1900), Maggie Jane (Jan 1903), and Benjamin (Bennie) James (4 April 1905). In addition to these six, Sam and Ida lost one son and one daughter in childbirth. In the 1900 census, a nephew, Walter S. Sumner (b. Jun 1881) was also living with the family.
When Bennie was small, the family moved from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, located on State Hwy 7, half way between Pittsburg and Fort Scott, in Sherman Township, Crawford Co. There Ida, with child, died 9 Aug 1908 of blood poisoning. It is not known whether she died of complications in pregnancy or in childbirth, but there is an unnamed infant buried next to her in the Farlington Cemetery. In the 1910 census, Samuel J. is listed with his six children from Martha 18, to Bennie 5.
In Jan 1911, Sam Hopkins' younger half-brother, Will, traveled from Cedar Co, MO, to Farlington, KS, to visit his brother, just two weeks after Will was married. On Jan 20, Sam had been chasing cattle that day, but when Will said something about leaving, Sam insisted that they stay all night. Will went to put his horse away about 10:00 pm. Sam lay down and had died of heart failure before Will got back to the house. After laying him to rest next to his wife and infant child, the family was packed up and taken back to Cedar County to live with relatives.
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