My great-grandfather Hopper, writing about his mother’s reaction to his only sister’s decision to join him as a Presbyterian missionary in Korea in 1922.

That mother through the years had endured and won in the Christian race, who had a supreme desire and joy in having her children to bear the message glorious, wrote me these words about her daughter’s decision: ‘It is great to have another one of my dear ones called into the Master’s service.’

Mothers with a triumphant faith like this are constantly needed that Christian witnessing may be continued ‘both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’

Margaret Hopper served in Mokpo, Korea from 1922-1940 and 1948-57.

I’m reading a history of the Southern Presbyterian mission to Korea (of which my Hopper grandparents and great-grandparents were a part) that my great uncle wrote. He shared a sequence of journal entries written by a young, single missionary:

• Nov 11, 1896 – One has no opportunity to know a single lady here if one is single without provoking gossip.
• Dec 14, 1896 – I offered to stay with Miss Davis and Mrs. Drew while Mr. Drew and Mr. Junkin go to Seoul and my offer was accepted.
• Feb 22, 1897 – Miss Davis is discreet!! Good! … Miss Davis does not say much, but doubtless thinks a lot!!
• Aug 30, 1897 – Stopped by Drews to return Miss Davis’s shoes and came nearer to delivering my ultimatum.
• Oct 1, 1897 – Visited Miss Davis and again “played the coward.”
• Oct 30, 1897 – Bell, Tate and I dined with Miss Davis … good cook.
• Nov 2, 1897 – While the other were going up the hill for goose and duck hunting, I went after fairer game. For once I played the man. I made the heartiest speech of my life, and thank God, captivated my audience. Miss Davis (now Linnie Dear) said I said as I was about to go without an answer, ‘I love you’ …. For appearances sake, I hurried up the hill after seeing Miss Davis and shot three ducks, sent her one.

They were married the next summer.

J. Hershey Longenecker, born May 23, 1889, was a Southern Presbyterian missionary in the town of Luebo in what is now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1917 to 1950. Sometime after his retirement, he was interviewed about his time in Africa. In the interview, he discusses a whole variety of matters, including Witch Doctors, Crocodiles, Hippopotamuses, Cannibals, Missionary Life, Handwriting, and Albert Schweitzer.

Note: The audio quality is bad at first, but it gets better as the video progresses.

Rev. Longenecker’s memoir, discussed in the interview, is available online.

The following obituary was published in The Advocate-Messenger, Danville, Kentucky, on Friday, August 22, 1913, five days after George Dunlap Hopper’s death on August 17, 1913.

Hopper.

Mr. George D. Hopper, one of the most prominent and popular citizens of Lincoln county, is dead. He was in his sixty-fifth year, had been a member of the Presbyterian church for forty-five years, and had all these years lived a consistent Christian. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity. That veteran minister and much beloved citizen, Rev. Joseph H. Hopper, of Perryville, is a surviving brother, a widow and the following children are also left to mourn the loss of a loving husband and devoted father: Rev. W. H. Hopper, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Burnside; Prof. W. O. Hopper, Superintendent of the High School at Mt. Sterling; Miss Margaret Hopper; Mr. George D. Hopper, who graduated with the honors of his class from Central University last June, and Mr. Joseph H. Hopper, a leading student of C. U. Dr. P. L. Bruce conducted the funeral services at the late residence Tuesday afternoon, the Masons concluding the services at the grave in Buffalo Cemetery, in the presence of one of the largest crowds that ever gathered there on a like occasion.

Source: The Advocate-Messenger, Danville, Kentucky, Friday, August 22, 1913

Note: A more detailed obituary for George Dunlap Hopper was also published in another newspaper around the same time. George D. Hopper was born October 29, 1848 in Lancaster, Kentucky, and died August 17, 1913 in Stanford, Kentucky.

The following obituary was published in The Interior Journal, Stanford, Kentucky, on Tuesday, April 3, 1906.

OWSLEY

After gradually sinking for several months from the weakness incident to extreme age, Mrs. Mary Jane Owsley breathed her last about 12 o’clock Sunday night. Mrs. Owsley, who was a Miss Dunlap, was born in Fayette county 92 years ago and when quite young united in marriage with Joseph Hopper and to them were born two children, Mrs. Mattie Withers and Mr. George D. Hopper, both of this place. Mr. Hopper died many years since and Mrs. Owsley some years later became the wife of Jonathan Owsley, who also preceded her to the grave. At the age of 22 the deceased joined the Presbyterian church and throughout her long and useful life remained a devout member. Mrs. Owsley spent her early life in Fayette and Garrard counties, but for nearly 40 years had made her home with her son in this county, at whose home she died. After short services by Rev. Gilbert Glass at 10:30 this morning the remains will be removed from her late home and consigned to the tomb in Buffalo cemetery. A life that was long and useful, filled with christian virtues and worthy of emulation has come to a perfect close. Let not her devoted ones weep, for the reward of those who lived in God’s grace is rich and everlasting - and truly this is hers.

Marriage Record: Mary Jane Hopper married John Owsley on August 2, 1864 (Lincoln County, Kentucky)

Source: The Interior Journal, Stanford, Kentucky, Tuesday, April 3, 1906, Page 3

Note: Mary Jane Dunlap was the great-grandmother of missionary Joseph Hopper. Her son George D. Hopper’s obituary was published in 1913. She was buried in Buffalo Cemetery, Stanford, Kentucky.