Following is one of the Biographies and Stories which where gathered by Charles Sumner McKamy in the 1950s for publication in a Crawford County History Book. Unfortunately he passed away before the book was published.
Esther S. Hope, daughter of William Alexander Hope and Elizabeth Tedford Hope born on their home place, located two miles north of Flat Rock, Illinois, attended grade school one-fourth mile south of their home in the "Hope" school, named in honor of her father. Her Father was a native of Blount County, Tenn., born Feb. 14, 1831, a son of Adam and Mary Jane Hope, who were natives of Green County, Tenn. He had a brother, James Hope, who served in the Mexican War.
Her Father served in the Civil War, enlisting August 12, 1862 in Company "E", 98th Ill. Vol. Inf. under Capt. Cox of Palestine, Ill. the commanding officer. He was taken prisoner in the battle of Hoover's Gap at Chickamauga and was held in the Andersonville prison for nine months, discharged at Springfield, Ill. in 1865.
He was married to Hannah J. Tedford Dec. 22, 1851 and to them was born a son, Stewart M. Hope, a well known dealer in horses for several years in Crawford County and southern Illinois. His Mother, Hannah J. Tedford Hope departed this life on May 17, 1873. My Father married his deceased wife's sister, Elizabeth Tedford on June 15, 1874, and to this union were born six sons and one daughter, viz: Frederick H., Marcus S., Arta P., Nelson A., Chester A., Oliver R., Esther S., and Erskine T., all now deceased except myself, Esther S. the daughter, unmarried, living in Loudon County, Tennessee, leaving Crawford County in 1936. I received my education principally in the Grade School, known in our neighborhood as the "Hope" School, where my life was mostly spent.
My Father came to Crawford County purchasing a tract of land containing 160 acres, and by good management and hard work accumulated one of the nicest farm homes in Crawford County where in our day many friends were entertained, our parents being well known in Crawford County for their hospitality and while the entire family worked hard on the farm under the wonderful supervision of their parents and they all found time to play and enjoy life.
The family were all members of the Presbyterian Church and devout Christians, father being an Elder in that church for many years and his son, Fred H., spending many years of his life in Missionary work in Africa.
My Father and family came to Crawford County with a "wagon train" of other East Tennessee families in 1852, among the group was the Father of Hannah Hope, Robert Armstrong Tedford, with his family, who bought a farm near the Morea United Presbyterian Church. My Father bought one-hundred sixty acres in Montgomery Township, two miles north of Flat Rock from William Liston on March 18, 1854, the witnesses to this deed being Justice of the Peace W.M. Funk and Samuel Parker, to this farm he later added twenty-nine acres bought from Senator Reaville, where he lived the remainder of his life. They had eight children, with only three were grown up before their passing away.
James Walker living from 1854 to 1894 was a farmer and he married Joanne Cooper, leaving no children.
Stewart M. Hope born March 27, passing away in 1919, who married Jane Highsmith of Robinson, leaving six children, Ruby, Perl, Cora, Laura, Florence and Ausby. Perl married Martha King. Martha and Laura (who married Frank Page) has two sons, both married and they all live in Indianapolis, Martha and Laura's two children all live together.
Elizabeth Ann married George P. Gordon Feb. 16, 1887, to whom were born three children, Addella, Larue and Elizabeth Arta, Elizabeth the only one now living. She made her home after her Mother's death and she married Everett L. Beale of Greenback, Tenn., and they have two sons, J. Doyle of Knoxville and E. Holton of Greenback, both World War II veterans having spent four years overseas, both married. Doyle has one daughter, Karen Faye, Holton has two daughters, Elizabeth Diana and Pamela Hope and a son, James Everett.
After the death of Hannah, father's first wife on May 17, 1873, he married her youngest sister, Elizabeth (Betsy) Tedford June 15, 1874 and to this union was born eight children, Frederick H., Spencer Arta, Nelson A., Chester A., Oliver R., Esther S. and Erskine Tedford. Spencer died at the age of 18 months.
At Maryville, Tenn. Fred graduated from the academy and Maryville College in June 1906, a short business course at Terre Haute, Ind. and a Bible course in New York; he was married in June 1907 to Miss Lou Johnson, a Maryville College classmate at her home in Montgomery, Ohio, after which they sailed to Cameroon Africa in July 1907 as Missionaries. Fred died in Florida on Jan. 4, 1946, his wife, Winifred surviving with a son and a daughter, Steven and Carol.
Arta was a schoolteacher in Crawford County for several years after graduating in the Danville, Ind. Teachers College and attending school at Charleston, Ill. and in the Maryville College at Maryville, Tenn. She died April 1, 1906 while she was teaching in the Academy at Maryville College.
Nelson was a farmer and married Ollie Belle Lewis, daughter of Charles and Cleora Lewis of Robinson in May 1906 and to them six children were born, Cleora, Mabelle, Charles, Sarah, Wilma and William A. Cleora died in 1928. Mabelle married Elmer E. Bussard Oct. 20, 1936 of Robinson. They now live at Everett, Wash. and have three sons, John Edward, Robert Glen and Walter Nelson.
Charles Lewis, World War II veteran, married Boneva Robinson in September 1945 and they have two sons, Charles Lewis, Jr. and Paul Nelson and live at Lone Beach, Calif. Sarah, a registered nurse, married Vern Boe and lives in Vista, Calif. Wilma married Roy Green and lives at Compton, Calif. and they have a son and a daughter, William A. is with the U.S. Air Force, his wife and two children, Sandra Lee and William Bryan are with him whenever possible in the U.S. He is a World War II veteran and re-enlisted.
My Mother, Elizabeth Hope, died in May 1908.
Fred remarried on the way back to Africa after his first furlough to the U.S. in 1911 to Miss Roberta Brown of Fargo, N.D. and they had five children, daughter Arta Grace (Mrs. Randolph Shields of Fargo, N.D.), Elizabeth Christian (Mrs. Robert Munn of Paris, France), Roberta Gail (Mrs. Marvin Guthman, R.N. of Chicago), Esther Margaret (Mrs. Max Powers, R.N. of Cincinnati), Winifred Ruth (Mrs. Douglas Smith of Cincinnati).
Arta Grace has four children, Lona Gail, Ruth, Donald and Hope. Elizabeth (Betty) has a girl, Sandra Jo and a boy, Robert James. She and her husband are working in the "Greater Europe Mission" in Paris, France and they both had been missionaries in West Africa before taking part on this work. Roberta has three sons, Daniel Frederick and Edwin Marion. Esther Powers has five children, Robert a Louise (Bobby), William (Billie), Elizabeth (Betty), John Gerald (Jerry), and Deborah Ann (Debby).
Oliver was in the insurance business and lived at South Bend, Ind. and they had three sons, William Lewis of Logansport, Ind., Palmer Frederic and Chester Otis, of New Carlisle, Ind. William married Helen Waltz of South Bend and they have two sons, Robert and Donald. Palmer married Alixe Morgan of South Bend and they have two children, James William and Janet Sandra. Chester married Dorothy Hagenback of South Bend, Ind. and they have two sons, Ted Oliver and Lee Allen. Erskine Tedford Hope, the youngest of our family went to Dexter, Mo. to make their home. He married Ethel Doak, the only daughter of Joseph Doak, who lived near Palestine and they have two sons and one daughter, Robert Doak, Erskine Tedford, Jr. and Edith Christine. Erskine died in October 1944. His widow still lives in Dexter, Mo. Robert married Anita green of Dexter and they have one daughter, Barbara Carol and the live in Sikeston, Mo. Erskine Tedford, Jr., a veteran of World War II married Vivian Canady of Bernie, Mo. and they have son Erskine Tedford III. They live in St. Louis, Mo. Christian marries Herbert Hutchinson and the home is in Salem, Ill. They have two daughters, Linda Jean and Nancy Jo.
After the death of my Mother, who had lived as a widow in Flat Rock, Ill. with myself, I was the only surviving member of our family and I went to Columbia, South Carolina. I spent twelve years as a helper in a home for the sons and daughters of Foreign Missionaries who were on fields where there were no schools for their children, so they had to be left in the homeland.
The Westervelt Home was not only a home for them but also had a school for the kindergarten children on up through Bible College. I was housemother for girls for the grade school on through college until the work had to be given up because of the death of Mr. Westervelt in 1948. I now have my home in Greenback, Tenn., Loudon Co., not far from the birth place of my parents and the "Big Spring" Cemetery where lies buried several generations of the Tedford and also her Grandfather and Grandmother, Adam and Mary Jane Hope.
Author's note: You will notice in reading the above family history is very unusual in that most of the members of this family spent most of their lives in foreign missionary work.
The author, who was a boyhood friend of Fred Hope, their parents and the children of each being very close friends, wishes to pay tribute to Fred in the words of Josephine Hope Westervelt who wrote the book entitled "Big Hope", she being the granddaughter of James Hope, who was Fred's uncle, which were as follows, to wit: "Fred Hope, big, ambitious, full of good humor, a hearty laugh that was infectious and a love of God "humbled himself under the mighty hand of God" in service of the jungles of Cameroon, West Africa and after many ludicrous as well as might thrilling experiences that almost cost his life, was in due time exalted in his service and did a big work with God's help. He was dearly loved at home and abroad."
The life story of Dr. Fred Hope brings out the fact that from the time he left home to go to school in 1897 he was faithful in writing to his mother weekly until the date of her death in 1932; he was also faithful to his wife and sister, Esther, writing long interesting letter when he was away from home on the field; among those with whom he kept in close touch with were Will Corwin of Robinson, for many years associated with Associated Oil Producers Oil Co. of Robinson, Dr. John B. Farrell, a boyhood neighbor and friend, Frank E. Laughead, a Maryville college mate and neighbor friend on their farm, W. Edward Ewing, a neighbor, friend and school mate at home, as well as Frank L. Duncan and Myrtle Seaney-Cooper, the last being residents at this time of Flat Rock, Ill.
Fred was modest with Christian humility, which characterized him in the Frank James Industrial School, of Elat, Cameroon, West Africa. To find out about his missionary life you will have to go to Africa and talk with the many whose Christian life stems back to this missionary of the Cross. A native of Africa paid this tribute to Fred in the following words: "Mr. Hope loved the Gospel of Christ. He was a man who could enjoy jokes on himself. He surely understood the great love of Christ.", signed, Nko' Abomo. Fred's parents were practical Christians and a big help to the little country Beckwith Presbyterian Church to which they belonged and their minister, the Rev. Ambrose, more interested perhaps than anyone else, was the instigator of Fred's ambition to get a good education and make something of himself.
It is said that his contribution to the church was one dollar when he was but tem years of age and he earned this dollar by catching rats in a grain bin. Fred and his brother, Nelson, found it hard to get a college education, first they began to plan to go to the Academy at Maryville College and about that time their Father became obligated to pay off the indebtedness of a neighbor, so Fred and his brother had to give up the idea of going to school at that time and they would not leave their Father with that burden and he was twenty-five years of age before he could enter the preparatory department of the Maryville College, and it took courage and determination but he had sufficient of that to carry him through. He made friends in college right and left that endured throughout his lifetime.
At Maryville College he identified himself with the church, the Y.M.C.A. and he became President of the Y.M.C.A., throwing himself wholeheartedly in his work, and took on outside jobs when he could to help pay his expenses through college.
In February 1906 he attended the World Student Conference in Nashville, Tenn. And listening to a speaker he was so impressed when he said "If you really want to know God, tackle a job that is just too big for you", and to him, that was God's answer to his question and his definite decision was made as to the missionary job. That same year he became very much interested in Miss Lou Johnson, a fine Christian girl, a member of the Volunteer Student Movement, who was planning to give her life to mission work. This friendship ripened into an engagement and soon they were married and these young people were leaving it up to the mission board to send them where the need was greatest. In 1907 they attended the National Institute of New York City and a part of his assignment with the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions Institute to teach a class in Sunday School of Italian boys. He did his best while he had some criticism. He was embarrassed because of his worn clothes and he could not change his clothes for that was the only suit he had. He wrote his father he had no money and they sent him a barrel of apples, which he sold individually to give him expense money and it was a great help to his morale.
On September 10 Fred and his wife landed at Batanga in Cameroon, W. Africa where they were given a Bulu boy to help them and started to learn their language and in his words in a letter written home to his Mother, as follows: "I never realized so fully that the field is so white unto the harvest but the laborers are few".
The Mission Council on the field decided that Fred and Lou Hope were to go to Elat, the largest station of the mission situated about 2000 feet above the sea and 110 miles into the interior where they both taught the natives to read and write. They lived in a bark house with a thatched roof but they were happy teaching people about Jesus Christ and his plan of salvation. There were 190 students in this school. They passed through village after village of heathen people unclothed and very curious about white people. Natives carried Lou in a hammock until she became seasick when she was provided with a donkey to ride. Fred later was provided with a bicycle but the paths were so bad and streams so deep that traveling was slow. Many villages through which they passed the natives had never seen a white woman and they followed her shouting at the top of their voices. They were clothes only with a bunch of grass in front and a bustle made of banana fibre with ornaments of brass collars and bras anklets. On one trip they met to their great delight another missionary by the name of Mr. Johnson, who had been in the field for 12 years who saw to it that they were well taken care providing good food and folding cots with mosquito nets. In one village through which they passed a man who had become a Christian and wanted to join the church had thirteen wives, making it necessary to dispose of twelve wives which he gave to his sons, brothers, his nephews and single men of the village but he was determined to become a Christian and after giving away the twelve wives he was admitted to the church and many others done likewise after they were converted.
Fred described one of his Sunday morning services, with 584 in Sunday School and over 600 at church and on this occasion the man was there who had put away twelve of his thirteen wives. The wife he kept was a fine looking woman and they walked along together coming to church which was the first tome he had seen a man and his wife walking together. It was a queer looking crowd at church, the women wearing no dresses, some wore turbans, some had fancy hairdos, no two alike and turbans different colors, some with leaf aprons before and behind, men had only cloths wrapped around their loins, children with nothing, many wore ornaments of monkey teeth, leopard teeth and other wild animal teeth, boring holes through the teeth and strung them of elephant hair.