James Elmo Stroupe

JAMES ELMO STROUPE
1878-1959

ORIGINS
James "Elmo" Stroupe was born Aug. 27, 1878 at Bull Creek, Buncombe County, N.C., the son of Samuel Alexander Stroup and his first wife Charlotte Johnson. When he was a small child, his parents moved to Cane Creek to a farm across the creek from his paternal grandparents, Silas and Susan (Harper) Stroup.
Elmo was always small for his age, like his grandmother Susan Harper's people, but he inherited his tall grandfather's easy-going personality and good humor. As a child, he became a great favorite with his grandfather Silas taught him many things, including carpentry, whittling and other farm crafts.
After his mother's early death, little Elmo spent much time with his grandparents, and was tutored by his grandfather and he helped out on the old Stroup home place. The little boy grew into a small, wiry man with his grandmother Harper's body build but with his grandfather's endearing personality and charm.

MARRIAGE
Elmo married on May 1, 1901 to Miss Lonnie Lanning who was born on Feb. 16, 1880.

OCCUPATIONS
Elmo was very fond of children and taught school for a time. Always a lively conversationalist, he loved to entertain people with little songs and dances.
A hard worker, he became the owner of a large and prosperous dairy farm who enjoyed the simple life, enjoyed farming and did it well.

WIFE'S LAND RECORDS
Three Buncombe County land purchase were made by his wife:
12-8-1906, Laney Stroup et al fr. J. N. Suthe, 10 acres adj J. D. Suthe.
6-14-1910, Lonie Stroup et al from Decora Towe, 8 acres Limestone Township.
4-25-1919, Lonie Stroup et al fr. F. B. Ingle, 8 acres Limestone Township.

PERSONALITY
Elmo Stroupe was a small, puckish man with an unusually merry disposition, by nature a fun loving man who played the banjo, and liked to clown around, singing, telling jokes and tales, often spontaneously breaking into little jigs. He also delighted in being considered "the local wag", and loved to play practical jokes. He was such a happy natured man that he was loved by all who knew him as well as by his own nine children.
However, Elmo had a serious side, however, and was a hard worker. He was skilled in many of the older crafts taught him by his grandfather, such as how to make split white oak into pliant strips and use them to rebottom chairs. He excelled at this and other humble jobs, being sincerely proud of the high quality of his workmanship.
Although he was consulted about his family history, he joked so much it was almost impossible to pin him down about the facts of his own life.

LAST YEARS
Elmo and Lonie were a loving couple who raised a large and happy family on his Fairview farm where they died at ripe old ages. According to a 1981 letter from his Cousin Tom Stroup, "Not only was this a happy home, the girls in Elmo's family were all beautiful."
After his death on Sept. 26, 1959, it was obvious at his funeral that his minister had enjoyed him because he spoke of how much he loved to laugh. Burial was at Tweed's Chapel M.E. church cemetery on Cane Creek.

WIFE'S DEATH
Lonie Lanning Stroupe died Sept 13, 1964, and was buried beside her husband at Tweed's Chapel M.E. church cemetery.

CHILDREN
Elmo and Lonie Stroupe had 9 children:
1. Eloise Stroupe, b 20 Apr 1902 m Virgil Boyd; Fairview; 3 children:
(1) Katherine Boyd.
(2) Selma Boyd.
(3) Pauline Boyd.
2. Catherine Stroupe, b ca 1904.
3. Joseph Alexander "Alex" Stroupe, (5 Dec 1905-26 Jan 1985); m Evelyn Nesbitt; lived Oakley; worked Asheville Citizen-Times; buried Tweed's Chapel M.E. church cem; son:
(1) Joseph Alexander Stroupe, Jr., b 16 Jun 1932.
4. Pauline Stroupe, b ca 1906.
5. Selma Stroupe, b ca 1908?
6. James Stroupe, b 2 Dec 1903 m Loretta Willingham. They moved to Chicago where he worked in the stockyards. He died in Chicago in 1975.
7. Claude Hugh Stroupe, Sr., b 3 Feb 1912; m Margaret Wilkie. In 1978 was manager of a large stock farm at Rt. 1, Fletcher.
(1) Claude Hugh Stroupe, Jr.,
8. Anna Emeline Stroupe, b 31 Dec 1909 m 1st Vester Redding; m 2nd - Crump & lived Newport News, Va; dau Ruby Redding.
9. Rebecca Marie Stroupe, b 3 Jul 1914 m 1st Charles Bailey; m 2nd - Holsclaw and lived at Fletcher. Had a daughter, Shirley Bailey.