But at least the grave is marked. Were it not, descendants might have problems figuring out exactly where in the Midwest and Plains states their ancestor had been buried.
Born in 1853 in Ohio, Mr. Hoops arrived in Lucas County's Washington Township with his parents, John F. and Hester Hoops, during 1866, when he was 13. He married Mary A. McElroy during 1877 in Warren County, then moved to Kansas soon thereafter.
He was on hand during September of 1893 when the Cherokee Strip Land Run began and so became a pioneer of Kay County, Oklahoma, located near the Oklahoma-Kansas border about midway between Oklahoma City and Wichita, Kansas.
And that was where he died on the 6th of March 1899, age 45, of "inflammation of the brain caused by catarrah," a diagnosis that doesn't exactly clarify the cause.
The Chariton Democrat of March 9 reported, "A telegram was received on Monday evening that Mr. Frank Hoops, formerly of this place, now living in Oklahoma, had died after a three days' illness," but nothing else.
A more complete report, as follows, turned up in the Blackwell, Oklahoma, Times-Herald of March 9:
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The community was shocked to learn of the death of L. F. Hoops, who passed away Monday at 11 o'clock. His trouble was inflammation of the brain caused by catarrah. Thursday he was plowing in the field, he took suddenly ill. A physician was called Saturday morning, but the malady was so deeply seated nothing could be done for the case. The funeral was held at the M.E. church Wednesday afternoon and the remains were shipped to Russell, Iowa, for burial.
Mr. Hoops had been a resident of Parker since the "opening," having originally came from Lucas County, Iowa. He was an honored citizen having twice served as justice of Blackwell township and twice honored by the Republican party. In 1896 he was the nominee of his party for county attorney and in 1898 for probate judge.
I learned a little more about Mr. Hoops by backing up to the Kildare, Oklahoma, Journal of Sept. 18, 1896, which carried a brief biography as it announced his candidacy for Kay county attorney:
The republican central committee met at Blackwell on Monday to select a candidate for the office of county attorney. After careful discussion, L.F. Hoops, of Blackwell, was selected. Mr. Hoops was a prominent candidate for the office of senator and attracted attention by reason of his splendid ability as a speaker. He is 43 years of age and was born in Somerset, Perry county, Ohio. He has lived all his life in the west --- Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma.
He was educated in the common schools of Lucas county, Iowa, and taught school for ten years, always holding first grade certificates. He was admitted to the bar in 1892 at Lincoln, Kansas, by Judge Eastland. He has been a member of the M.E. church 25 years and is secretary of the Kay county Sunday School Association. We believe that Mr. Hoops is the strongest man that could have been selected.
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After the dust had settled in Oklahoma following Mr. Hoops' death, Mary brought their four children back to Iowa to live near her family in the Scotch Ridge neighborhood of Warren County. She outlived her husband by 43 years, passing in 1942 at the age of 86 and is buried in the cemetery at Scotch Ridge Presbyterian Church.
Her husband is buried near his parents in the Russell Cemetery and it's also possible that an infant child of L.F. and Mary is buried there, too.
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