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~Poplett~ |
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The ~Poplett~ name was introduced
into England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066 as the Norman's proceeded to
impose their traditions and customs upon the native English. The earliest written
references to the surname Poplett and its variant Pupelot dates back to the thirteenth
century. Thomas Pupelot is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1214. The
surname appears to be associated with the south of England, particularly with
Cambridgeshire. Earliest record I can find on the Poplett name in the U.S. is a Thompson
Poplett, born 15 Jan 1799 in North Carolina and died 13 Aug 1868 in Peoria County,
Illinois at age 69 and fathering 13 children. One of his grandchildren is pictured
below...my Grandfather. : )
Great Grandpa "Bert"
and Grandpa Clarence Poplett, Worked as custodians at Gibson City School system.
Grandpa (Clarence P.) had a city wide Clarence Poplett Day where he and Grandma were given
keys to brand new car, half time Retirement Ceremony during Home Coming football game and
naturally, most of the Poplett clan in attendance.
Uncle Dick on leave WWII, Grandma
and Uncle Bob. Uncle Dick went to England on the Ile De France. in 44, LST307. Uncle
Dick said, "Made approx 64 trips across the Channel carrying men, material and other
wartime equipment. Our ship had three sets of narrow gauge rail tracks welded to our tank
deck. For a while we carried loaded railroad cars to France and on the HARD WE UNLOADED
THE CARS WITH SECTIONS OF TRACK BROUGHT OUT TO MEET OUR SHIP WITH THE BOW DOORS OPEN. At
the time of the Battle of the Bulge we carried lots of troops that many didn't have
rifles, just new black rubber boots." They pulled everybody from behind desks and
other fields to throw manpower into this one big thrust. He had Christmas 1944 in England
and Christmas in Japan in 1945.
Mom and Dad got married and Dad headed
back overseas to Europe and Africa. Women during WWII, when all the men were gone to the
war effort, went to work filling in the work places vacated by the men. Mom went to work
for the Railroad in Kansas City, dispatching war supply loaded trains all over the U.S.
 Me,
Cousins RT (Richard), LeeAllen, Wally (Uncle Dick's sons) Note the cool chaps! Our
Grandmother Poplett made them for us for Christmas so don't mess with the Cowboys!
 Family photo Christams 1969 after
coming home from first West Pac Cruise to Vietnam.
This is where I was born..my first
home. Peoria, Il 1949 We
moved to Grandpa's farm house,
Elliott, Il and then while Dad was going to college and working at Ford dealership in
Gibson City, they also started up a Resteraunt in Elliott Then
they decided to make it a home. Here's renovations to make it our new
home. In 1959? we moved to Roberts, Illinois home
sister Deb and family now own. Good town to have grown up in and I'm happy to see Deb's
kids will have similar chance at that life style/setting. Picture of Mom's brother and
sisters. Aunt Elsie Roberts (Noland), Aunt Mary Leach (Noland), Uncle Floyd and Mom
.
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The ~ Noland ~ records I
have go back to Aslag and
Hanna Larsen Noland (my Great-Great-Great Grandparents) who were born in Rogaland,
Norway. They emigrated from Stavanger, Norway and arrived in Detroit, MI in May of 1869,
accompanied with his two younger brothers Lars and Thomas. Boat fare was $12.00 from
Stavanger to Quebec, no food included. Lars and Thomas farmed in Northern Illinois, were
ship carpenters on the Great Lakes, and migrated to Hitchcock, SD. Aslag changed his name
to Oscar L. Noland when he received his citizenship in 1894 and settled near Morris, IL
and moved to Ford County, IL with a team and wagon in 1875. They were members of the
Pontoppidan Lutheran Church and helped haul the lumber when it was built in 1881. (I have
attended church there many times as well as paying farewell respects to many relatives.)
The first 35 years of the Pont's church records were recorded in Norwegian.
Boy sitting on far left corner
I believe is my Grandfather, Martin Noland, born 25 Apr 1883-died 10 Mar 1960. Grandpa
Martin farmed outside Elliott, IL off Rt 9 as his last farm land. He was "my
bud". I could always go out to Grandpa's (regardless of the fact I was supposed to be
in school) to which we'd head off in his old 41 Chevy to visit others like Uncle Art
(Cousin Marlo's dad) at their work sites as they built new homes on North side of Elliott,
or just walk the fields talking like Grandson's and Grandpa's do. Uncle Lars Noland, Grandpa in early
20's and Uncle Joe Noland about 9 yrs old.
Cousin Marlo was in the Navy
during WWII, serving with the Construction Battalion out in the Pacific Theater. He did 8
years of searching, interviewing, talking with relatives, having us all fill out info
sheets, etc. in order to capture many of the stories and family history, which he
published for us to enjoy and share with our families. My booklet my Mom got for each of
us kids is in a 4 inch thick, three ring binder, plus two "supplemental"
booklets Cousin Marlo wrote and further info on our various Ford County small towns I had
the privilege to grow up in. Uncle
Howard on last leave shown here with Uncle Joe before he joined. Cousin Marlo stated,
The seeds of WWII were starting to sprout, but not many recognized the fact. But
everything changed when Hitler invaded Poland in September and England and France declared
war on Germany in support of Poland. France soon fell and England stood alone against
Germany as the U.S. started a lease program. September 1940, before Congress approved
Nationwide Conscription over much objection. If drafted you had to serve one year in
training, but you never knew when the call might come. Rather than have that threat
hanging over their head, (my cousin) Reuben, Uncle Howard, and "Lefty" Williams
decided to volunteer and have their service out of the way. It was March or April of 1941
when they went in, and that fall a new directive came out to release 28 and older into the
reserves, so Cousin Reuben and Uncle Howard were home by November and back into the fields
working crops. December 7th they listened to the radio reports and by March 42, Uncle
Howard and Cousin Reuben were called back in. Uncle Howard and his infantry division soon
went to New Caledonia while Cousin Lars was aboard the USS Saratoga and about that time
Cousin Marlo went into the Navy.
 Uncle Howard, who'd joined March
41, then sent home only to be recalled March 1942, was killed 7 months later on 27 October
1942 with the 164th Infantry at Guadalcanal. Here's a picture of his
temporary site on Guadalcanal. He was returned and buried at Pontoppidan Lutheran
Church, outside Elliott, Il on 13 March 1948. My middle name was given to me in
honor of Uncle Howard when I was born Feb 1949.
Uncle Joe Noland,  who went on to be awarded number
of medals, including Silver Star for his saving his CO's life during Battle of the Bulge.
Uncle Joe had four tanks shot out from under him but still managed to survive. Being a
quiet man, he didn't discuss the war with me till I came back from my first Vietnam trip
in 69. It was about this time Uncle
Floyd joined the Army Air Corps where he served in England during the war.
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