Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-09-05


attend the reunion because of her alb
sence from the city. She remembered
the association by contributing $40.
She was given a vote of thanks The
treasurer also read letter from Will
lam B. Roper of Norfolk, Va, who
added considerable historical informa
ton for the association,
Charles Manning played the piano.
The historians report came next.
Miss Roper went into the history of
the association and summed up the
work of the first Ropers on American
soil. She explained the coming of
the first known Roper who arrived in
America in 1857 and settled in Massa-
chusetts. The immigrants included
father and two sons, and fifth in line
from the father were ten brothers, the
descendants of who represented the 10
branches of Roper descendants who
assembled at reunions until yesterday.
This branch is known as the sterling
branch, and the new division of the
six branches which were added to the
association yesterday, represented six
sons of Daniel Roper, who is known to
have lived in dorchester about 1880,
and whose sons with their families
moved to Rutland branch.
The story of the discovery of the
Rutland branch was repeated, and the
historian announced that the day
following last years reunion she re-
ceived a letter addressed to the post
master of Sterling asking if any Ropers>
lived there. The wriver was Mrs.
Adeline Roper, who was born in Rutland
in 1925, and who had come from south
western Pennsylvania to find missing
relatives in the vicinity of Sterling or
Rutland. The historian of the associ-
alton then became industrious and dis
covered the line of Ropers descended
from Joseph William Roper, who first
saw Rutland, the first year Of the last
century,
Soon after the letter from the Penn
sylvania Roper, came one from Arthur
I. Roper, who did his writing in the
Philippines, and he claimed to belong
to the Rutland line. Diligent inquiry
failed to connect the Roper in the
Philippines with any Rutland branch,
and the hope of locating him rightly
was about to be given up when Mrs.
Eval ton Potter of Binghamton, n. Y,
undertook a little work which lead to
the discovery of branch of the Rut-
land division, and the placing of
Arthur T. Roper in the long lost line,
Nathaniel, fifth son of Ephrian Roper
of Sterling.
Miss Roper the historian, told the
gathering that she had prepared a his
tory of the family and that she would
soon submit it to the publishers.
This announcement was greeted with
applause, and a committee consisting
of three was chosen by the president
to make arrangements with publishers:
Miss Ella E.. Roper, Miss Luchinne
Nelson, Sterling; Miss Matte Pay,
Mankato, Mimi; Lester n. Burpee
Pratt's Junction; Mrs. Evarton Potter,
Bing hamton, N. Y.
The announcement was given that
so far as could be learned, there were
Ropers in every war which the country
has figured in except possibly the Mex
lean war, the exact truth of the latter
war being in doubt until further re-
search brings new results,
Miss May Hills of Sterling gave a
reading and there was more assembly
singing. It was voted to empower the
executive committee to choose the
place for the next reunion and make
arrangements for t. The first reunion
was at Sterling and it is possible that
the next one will be there, as Wor-
cester has had two. The committee
will notify members two months in ad-
vance, concerning the next assembl-
age.
Miss Edith B. Roper of East Hub
bardston and Miss Alice II. futile of
Sterling followed with songs, ana
greeting was .extended to the Misses
Pay, who had come from Minnesota to
attend the runtogether.
The last few minutes OF the meeting
were consumed in the election of Off
GERS and these are the leaders for this
year.