George Washington THORP was born on 2 December 1848 in Lebanon, Marion Co., KY to Austin DePriest and Lydia (GORDON) THORP. George's mother died when he was about ten years old and his father remarried. There were problems between him and his stepmother resulting in conflicts with his father and in beatings until George finally ran away from home.
Somewhere along the line he learned the blacksmithing trade. On 2 July 1871 in Seneca, Newton Co., MO, he married Jane Elizabeth BALL, daughter of James E. and Virginia Caroline (WALKER) BALL. Their first child, son Alonzo was born there on 22 April 1872. A second child, daughter Frances Ann "Fannie" was born in Joplin, Jasper Co., MO on 22 November 1874.
By June of 1877 George was buying lots in Wellington, KS. He opened a blacksmith shop on the northwest corner of Lincoln and C Streets and his residence was on East Harvey Street at approximately the present location of the Rogers Abstract & Title Co.
A third child, daughter Maggie May was born on 14 January 1878 in Wellington. Unfortunately, that same year in October, Alonzo died and was buried in the Wellington Cemetery. Another son, Wilber Gordon was born in Wellington on 28 July 1881.
George sold most of his Wellington property in November of 1881. According to 1959 or 1960 information written by Maggie (then Mrs. Fred ORR), the family moved to Colorado in the summer of 1881 and lived there for 18 months. They then went back to the grandparents' home in Seneca, MO where son Robert Earl was born on 28 November 1883. In the spring of 1884 they moved to Belle Plaine and lived there until the autumn of that year at which time they moved to Conway Springs, KS where George again opened a blacksmith shop. Tragedy once more struck the family in June of 1891, when Wilber was accidentally shot and killed by his sister Maggie while they were playing with an "unloaded" gun. The resulting sorrow and guilt remained and affected Maggie the rest of her life. A heartbreaking account of the tragedy which she wrote just after it happened is still in the possession of the family. The G. W. THORP family remained in Conway Springs until the children were all grown and on their own. George's brother William H. THORP died while passing through the area on a visit and is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery where ORR family members were buried. George and Jane lived their declining years in Michigan where daughter Fannie and her husband Henry BENTLEY were living.
Somewhere along the line he learned the blacksmithing trade. On 2 July 1871 in Seneca, Newton Co., MO, he married Jane Elizabeth BALL, daughter of James E. and Virginia Caroline (WALKER) BALL. Their first child, son Alonzo was born there on 22 April 1872. A second child, daughter Frances Ann "Fannie" was born in Joplin, Jasper Co., MO on 22 November 1874.
By June of 1877 George was buying lots in Wellington, KS. He opened a blacksmith shop on the northwest corner of Lincoln and C Streets and his residence was on East Harvey Street at approximately the present location of the Rogers Abstract & Title Co.
A third child, daughter Maggie May was born on 14 January 1878 in Wellington. Unfortunately, that same year in October, Alonzo died and was buried in the Wellington Cemetery. Another son, Wilber Gordon was born in Wellington on 28 July 1881.
George sold most of his Wellington property in November of 1881. According to 1959 or 1960 information written by Maggie (then Mrs. Fred ORR), the family moved to Colorado in the summer of 1881 and lived there for 18 months. They then went back to the grandparents' home in Seneca, MO where son Robert Earl was born on 28 November 1883. In the spring of 1884 they moved to Belle Plaine and lived there until the autumn of that year at which time they moved to Conway Springs, KS where George again opened a blacksmith shop. Tragedy once more struck the family in June of 1891, when Wilber was accidentally shot and killed by his sister Maggie while they were playing with an "unloaded" gun. The resulting sorrow and guilt remained and affected Maggie the rest of her life. A heartbreaking account of the tragedy which she wrote just after it happened is still in the possession of the family. The G. W. THORP family remained in Conway Springs until the children were all grown and on their own. George's brother William H. THORP died while passing through the area on a visit and is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery where ORR family members were buried. George and Jane lived their declining years in Michigan where daughter Fannie and her husband Henry BENTLEY were living.
George Washington THORP was born on 2 December 1848 in Lebanon, Marion Co., KY to Austin DePriest and Lydia (GORDON) THORP. George's mother died when he was about ten years old and his father remarried. There were problems between him and his stepmother resulting in conflicts with his father and in beatings until George finally ran away from home.
Somewhere along the line he learned the blacksmithing trade. On 2 July 1871 in Seneca, Newton Co., MO, he married Jane Elizabeth BALL, daughter of James E. and Virginia Caroline (WALKER) BALL. Their first child, son Alonzo was born there on 22 April 1872. A second child, daughter Frances Ann "Fannie" was born in Joplin, Jasper Co., MO on 22 November 1874.
By June of 1877 George was buying lots in Wellington, KS. He opened a blacksmith shop on the northwest corner of Lincoln and C Streets and his residence was on East Harvey Street at approximately the present location of the Rogers Abstract & Title Co.
A third child, daughter Maggie May was born on 14 January 1878 in Wellington. Unfortunately, that same year in October, Alonzo died and was buried in the Wellington Cemetery. Another son, Wilber Gordon was born in Wellington on 28 July 1881.
George sold most of his Wellington property in November of 1881. According to 1959 or 1960 information written by Maggie (then Mrs. Fred ORR), the family moved to Colorado in the summer of 1881 and lived there for 18 months. They then went back to the grandparents' home in Seneca, MO where son Robert Earl was born on 28 November 1883. In the spring of 1884 they moved to Belle Plaine and lived there until the autumn of that year at which time they moved to Conway Springs, KS where George again opened a blacksmith shop. Tragedy once more struck the family in June of 1891, when Wilber was accidentally shot and killed by his sister Maggie while they were playing with an "unloaded" gun. The resulting sorrow and guilt remained and affected Maggie the rest of her life. A heartbreaking account of the tragedy which she wrote just after it happened is still in the possession of the family. The G. W. THORP family remained in Conway Springs until the children were all grown and on their own. George's brother William H. THORP died while passing through the area on a visit and is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery where ORR family members were buried. George and Jane lived their declining years in Michigan where daughter Fannie and her husband Henry BENTLEY were living.
Somewhere along the line he learned the blacksmithing trade. On 2 July 1871 in Seneca, Newton Co., MO, he married Jane Elizabeth BALL, daughter of James E. and Virginia Caroline (WALKER) BALL. Their first child, son Alonzo was born there on 22 April 1872. A second child, daughter Frances Ann "Fannie" was born in Joplin, Jasper Co., MO on 22 November 1874.
By June of 1877 George was buying lots in Wellington, KS. He opened a blacksmith shop on the northwest corner of Lincoln and C Streets and his residence was on East Harvey Street at approximately the present location of the Rogers Abstract & Title Co.
A third child, daughter Maggie May was born on 14 January 1878 in Wellington. Unfortunately, that same year in October, Alonzo died and was buried in the Wellington Cemetery. Another son, Wilber Gordon was born in Wellington on 28 July 1881.
George sold most of his Wellington property in November of 1881. According to 1959 or 1960 information written by Maggie (then Mrs. Fred ORR), the family moved to Colorado in the summer of 1881 and lived there for 18 months. They then went back to the grandparents' home in Seneca, MO where son Robert Earl was born on 28 November 1883. In the spring of 1884 they moved to Belle Plaine and lived there until the autumn of that year at which time they moved to Conway Springs, KS where George again opened a blacksmith shop. Tragedy once more struck the family in June of 1891, when Wilber was accidentally shot and killed by his sister Maggie while they were playing with an "unloaded" gun. The resulting sorrow and guilt remained and affected Maggie the rest of her life. A heartbreaking account of the tragedy which she wrote just after it happened is still in the possession of the family. The G. W. THORP family remained in Conway Springs until the children were all grown and on their own. George's brother William H. THORP died while passing through the area on a visit and is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery where ORR family members were buried. George and Jane lived their declining years in Michigan where daughter Fannie and her husband Henry BENTLEY were living.
Gravesite Details
On same stone as Jane E. and Wilber G.
