St. Clair County
Remnants Of The Past

History of St. Clair County, MO, Volume 1
St. Clair County Historical Society

Hopkins Family

George Washington Hopkins was born 30 August 1799 in Clarke County, Georgia, son of Elijah Hopkins and Mary "Molly" Lyons. Elijah moved to Georgia that same year from Orange County, North Carolina, and, in 1808, moved to what is now Clinton County, Kentucky, where he died in 1838.
George W. Hopkins married in 1822 in Cumberland County, Kentucky to Sarah E. Looney and, about 1850, the family came to St. Clair County, Missouri, where George died 10 July 1868 and Sarah died 26 July 1865. Both are buried in the Lowry City Cemetery. They were the parents of 10 or 11 children, according to census records. Robert Looney Hopkins, great-great-grandfather of Lowell Howell, author of this article; Susan Hopkins, married Winfield Scott (nothing more known); Eliza Hopkins, married James Hinkle and died in 1871, buried at Lowry City; Cynthia Sophrena Hopkins, married first to Joseph Barnett, who died in 1861, and second to William Hook. She died in 1912 in Union County, Iowa. Cynthia Hopkins and William Hook are the great-grandparents of TV personality Johnnie Carson; Victoria Hopkins, married R.A. Stewart (nothing more known); George W. Hopkins, was shot and killed at Brownington, Missouri, in 1873; Ambrose b. Hopkins, married Martha Ellington and died in 1911 at Clinton. He was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War and was sheriff of Henry County, Missouri, from 1880-84; John R. Hopkins, married Martha Browning, and died in 1895 at Appleton City. He was also a Confederate veteran of the Civil War, second postmaster of Lowry City in 1871, a businessman and also editor of the St. Clair County Democrat from 1872-75. John's wife, Martha, lived until 1931 and both are buried in the Appleton City Cemetery. They are the ancestors of the Payne family, prominent citizens of Appleton City for many, many years; their daughters: Susan Alice Hopkins having married first to Jasper Thorn and second to William Benjamin Payne; and Sarah Emma Hopkins having married Thomas F. Payne, she died in 1962 at Appleton City; Sarah Magnolia Hopkins, married William Osborne and died about 1870 in St. Clair County; Emily Hopkins (nothing more known).
Robert L. Hopkins (above) was born September 14, 1823, Cumberland County, Kentucky, married there to Elizabeth Hinkle, daughter of William Hinkle. Robert and Elizabeth came to St. Clair County in 1850 with his parents and died 28 April 1900. Elizabeth died 27 August 1916, both buried in the Thomas Cemetery. They were the parents of 8 children. Mary, died young; Abigail A. Hopkins, married McElroy Davis and died in 1929 at Coffeyville, Kansas; George W. Hopkins, married first Mary E. Royse and second Winnie Porter and died in 1951 at Nevada, Missouri; William Oscar Hopkins, married Alice Mariah Babb and died in 1936 in St. Clair County; Laura Hopkins, married Jefferson M. Davis and died about 1889 in St. Clair County; James A. Hopkins, died young; Emily Hopkins, died young; Jennie L. Hopkins, married Benjamin Gideon Davis and died in 1903 in St. Clair County.
William O. and Mariah Babb Hopkins (above) were the parents of five children. Lula Hopkins, died young; Grace Hopkins, married Charles Postlewaite, died in 1926 at Albuquerque, New Mexico; Abbie Hopkins, married Marshall Earl Bourland, died in 1974 at Butler, Missouri; Ambrose M. Hopkins, married Annis Barnett and died in 1964 at El Dorado Springs, Missouri; Gertie Francis Hopkins, married first John Troy Sims who died in 1920 and second to Floyd Richmond, she died in 1987 at El Dorado Springs, her daughter, Waneta Howell of Buckner, Missouri is the mother of this writer.
Submitted by Lowell L. Howell, Sibley, Missouri