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.
Born at Holidayboro in Jackson County, Illinois on December 16, 1890, the son of Ulysis Grant Thorpe and Emma Jane (Addison) Thorpe. His father was a coal miner, a native of near Golconda in Pope County, Illinois, where he was reared on a farm. His mother was a native of Jackson County, Illinois where she was orphaned at an early age.
Roy Thorpe completed his education at the age of 15 in he elementary schools of Jackson County and at that age was employed by the Illinois Central Railroad Company where he learned telegraphy and became a station agent. He was transferred as station agent to Stoy, Illinois, in Crawford County, in November, 1907. This was at the beginning of the Oil Boom and Stoy was well populated and a very busy place. The railroad station was then a box car.
The subject left the employ of he railroad April 1, 1908, and entered the employment of the Ohio Ohio Company at Stoy as telegrapher and warehouse clerk. He was transferred to Oblong as Warehouse Foreman in July, 1908. He met and married Della Siler of Oblong, December 16, 1911. She was the orphaned daughter of Demetrius Franklin and Evadora (Frazier) Siler and had been born and reared to the age of 11 on a farm in Martin Township, Crawford County, Illinois. Both the grandfather and great-grandfather of Della Siler of the Frazier side of he family had been practicians physicians in Crawford County.
Roy Thorpe is a veteran of World War I, having served from September, 1917 to February, 1919, and was discharged as a Sergeant First Class, in the Medical Department with the A.E.F. in France and England.
Two children were born to and reared by Della and Roy Thorpe in Oblong. They were Ralph S. Thorpe born July 23, 1916, and Robert F. Thorpe born September 15, 1920.
Ralph graduated as a Chemical Engineer from the University of Illinois in 1938 and received his Master's Degree in Chemistry at Pennsylvania State College in 1940. He was married to Marilyn Lawhead, daughter of Homer and Lulu (Parr) Lawhead of Robinson, Illinois, July 16, 1940, and they have four children, John S., Virginia L., William P., and David L. They reside in Rochester, New York, where Ralph is a Chemical Engineer with the Eastman Kodak Company. They are active members of the Grace Methodist Church in Rochester and he is a member of the Official Board.
Robert F. Thorpe graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Medicine in Chicago in 1943. He was married to Arlene Reick, a native of Peru, Illinois, who had been orphaned at an early age and reared by an aunt. Arlene is a graduate of the Cook County Hospital School of Nursing. She and Robert were married in Chicago, February 19, 1943, and Robert entered the Cook County Hospital for his medical internship. Finishing his internship in 1945, he entered active duty in the U.S. Army. He served 23 months, most of which was in Japan, and was discharged as a Captain. Robert than accepted a two-year residence appointment to Cook County Hospital specializing in the diseases of children. Completing the Residency, he entered the practice of Pedriatric in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, January 1, 1940, where he is still connected with the Manitowoc Clinic. He and Arlene have two children, Thomas S., born July 23, 1945, and Suzanne, born October 6, 1949.
In February, 1920, on his return from World War I, Roy Thorpe was promoted by the Ohio Oil Company to the position of Superintendent of Natural Gasoline Plants.
In January, 1936, he was made field Superintendent of Production, continuing to reside in Oblong. On July 1, 1937, he was promoted to District Superintendent of Production with offices and residence in Robinson, where to date he has been employed almost eighteen years. He has, during the years in Robinson been offered two opportunities of advancement with his employers but was forced to decline because of impaired health.
At the time of his retirement December 31, 1955, he had been an employee of the Ohio Ohio Oil Company 47 years and 8 months with no interruption except 19 months service in World War I.
Roy has served as a member of both the Village and School Boards of Oblong, the Official Boards of Central Methodist Church of Oblong and ten years on the Robinson Township High School Board. He has also served as Master of Oblong Lodge #644 A.F.&A.M., of which he has been a member for 44 years, President of the Veteran's Club of the Ohio Oil Company employees. He has been a director of the First National Bank of Oblong for 18 years and a member of the Rotary Club of Robinson for 17 years.
Mr. and Mrs. Thorpe plan to keep Robinson as their nominal and legal residence after retirement, but plan to spend most of their time as long as health permits traveling and visiting different areas of the United States and Canada, visiting and enjoying the growth and development of their six grandchildren in the states of Wisconsin and New York.
The Thorpe's consider themselves indeed fortunate to have been blessed with health, wonderful friends and the opportunity, through service, to rear and educate two children. They will ever be grateful to all their friends and employers who have made these things possible. They are also truly thankful for affectionate and loyal children and grandchildren, none of whom have given any trouble or cause to worry. One often hears the expression from certain individuals that they were "born too soon". The Thorpes are glad their life span has extended through the gay Nineties, the Roaring Twenties, the Trembling Thirties, the Anxious Forties, the Inflated Fifties, and to have reached this Golden Age of 65 years.
Dated this 31st day of December, 1955.