The "Old Crowd"
Welcome to this week’s Bill’s History Corner. This week we are looking at a photograph of Nappanee’s young people - possibly a group of young people at the M.E. Church in Nappanee. There are several prominent Nappanee names in this list. In fact, maybe some of your ancestors are here. In 1899, I would guess that almost everyone living in Nappanee had a connection with the Coppes Bros. & Zook Co. or the Nappanee Furniture Co. Except for retail stores and farming, the major employers in Nappanee were these two previously-named companies.
In the front row are Lillian and Della Coppes, daughters of Samuel Coppes. Harold Zook is the 4th person in the 2nd row. Harold was Daniel ‘s son and one of the six partners, starting in 190,2 in the firm Coppes, Zook & Mutschler Co. (In 1899 Harold is close to finishing law school at Ann Arbor). After the partnership with the Mutschler Bros. broke up, Harold became the Zook in the company named" Coppes Bros. & Zook" from 1912 thru 1936. In 1936, the remaining Coppes family members purchased Harold Zook’s shares in the company and then incorporated the company.
In the back row we have Bessie Coppes, daughter of Frank Coppes, next is Charles Mutschler (another partner in Coppes, Zook & Mutschler Co.) In 1899, Charles was a 2nd-year student at IU in Bloomington. He married Della Coppes (front row) on June 19, 1901. A very busy person.
Again, I wish to acknowledge and thank the Nappanee Center for the use of this photograph.