Poppe family donates history book to library
George Poppe and his wife Carol of Burlington, Wash., have compiled a history of his great-grandparents, Heinrich and Johanna Poppe, and their descendants.
They were in Marion May 25 and donated a copy to Marion City Library.
The couple began work on the book in 1997. They spent years and traveled many miles to research and document the facts. The book was printed in December 2002, almost exactly 147 years after George's great-grandfather came to America.
The history is well-organized, with one section dedicated to each of the 15 children and their descendants. The large loose-leaf book allows the addition of updates as needed.
Heinrich and Johanna Poppe moved to Marshal County, Kansas, from Illinois in 1867, then to Lincolnville in 1883.
Heinrich and/or his firstborn son may have been responsible for the name "Poppe Town," which was given to the Lincolnville business center which developed west of the railroad tracks. Henry H. Poppe established several businesses in that section of town, including the first grain elevator.
The elder Poppes had 15 children, some of whom died in infancy. Many of their descendants later moved to Washington.
George's father's name also was George. He was a son of William Poppe, Heinrich's third child. He lived on the family farm one mile south and three and one-half miles east of Lincolnville. George Jr. was the youngest of six children.
In 1937, when George Jr. was one year old, the farm was sold to Frank Bina, and the family moved to Washington.
Anyone desiring to see the Poppe family history book will need to ask the librarian for it. It is kept in a secure place along with other family histories.
