Yes. Every Hoople is related to every other Hoople!!
We Hooples are very lucky to have a little geneology book called “The Hooples of Hoople Creek” written by Elizabeth L. Hoople. That’s how I know that all Hooples are related to each other (as far as we know) and that anything that has to do with “Hoople” has to do with me. With us! When I meet new Hooples I get really excited and tell them all about how we’re related. A lot of times they’re excited, too, and sometimes they are wary. The wary ones aren’t used to being a part of the family, but we’ll grow on them!
Here’s a brief rundown of how all the Hooples are related.
A man named Jurgen Michael (last name unknown) was born in 1717 in Germany, “some time later” he emigrated to the United States and as with so many people arriving in the new world, his foreign name was completely botched by the immigration officials and he became known as Michael Hoople. He got married to a lady named Elizabeth in 1754 (she had also emigrated to the United States from Germany) and between 1756 and 1770, they had four sons: George, John/Johan, Hendrick/Henry, and Franz/Francis. They were born and lived in Cherry Valley, NY. As far as we know, these are the forefathers of every Hoople alive today! I am a direct descendent of Henry Hoople who got together with Mary Whitmore of the Whitmore Massacre (She was captured by native Americans with her little brother and then became a “Medicine Maid” of a different tribe, there’s a whole book about that written by Elizabeth Hoople, too, it’s awesome!)
A funny endnote to all of Elizabeth’s stellar Hoople family research:
She found out when researching the Hoople geneology books that she, herself, had been adopted and is actually not related by blood to any of us. (That’s okay, Elizabeth, if it were my say, I’d let you into the club!!)
And, yes, everyone asks about that famous Hoople band.
As far as we can figure, Mott the Hoople’s name has something to do with Hoople, North Dakota which was founded by my ancestors, so, yes, it has something to do with us after all.
Stay tuned for this Saturday when I reveal the Hoople apple tree that I got to visit!!!