9/12/1918 Morgan Co, IL. When Roy registered for the draft, helisted h is address at 2 Chapin, IL and signed his name as George Roy.He was 35 y ears old and a self employed farmer. He listed his motheras nearest r elative, same address. His description was mediumheight, stout build, w ith blue eyes and brown hair.
From Bluffs, Yesterday and Today, 1871-1971:
"George Van Gundy sold his telephone company - The Home Telephone Co,t o Messrs. Domke and Tucker of Jacksonville, Illinois in January,1924."
Roy apparently inherited a building in downtown Bluffs from hisfather. I t was described in the Centennial of Bluffs: "Sept. 5th(1944) the 75x 50' business property at the corner of Oakes St. andWabash avenue in B luffs was sold by R. G. Van Gundy to J. P. Monta,J.
A. Knoeppel acting as agent. During the past several years thisproper ty has been in the Van Gundy family, the rooms in thetwo-story, concre te block building thereon...which had over 6500square feet of floor sp ace...have had various occupants, such astelephone exchange, furniture s tore, dry goods store, grocery store,amusement hall and living quarter s."
When asked about her father's occupation, his daughter stated that shed idn't remember her father ever working at a job. He owned land andsev eral businesses which were leased or rented. Her father's workconsist ed of managing and keeping the land and businesses in goodrepair.
The family lived comfortably but because the parents were not overlyge nerous, the children did not realize their family was wealthierthen mo st in the area. It was not until they reached adulthood theydiscovere d that fact.
Daughter, Mary, remembered their family's first automobile. Herfather l eft to buy one and returned 2 weeks later with thecontraption. She wa s not sure where he had to go to buy it, nor whatkind it was.
Roy was invited to be the speaker at the commencement exercises atChap in High School one year. The subject of his oration was hisopinion of T he Monroe Doctrine.
1930 Chapin Pct, Morgan Co, IL. In the census that year Roy was 46,C lara was 41 and they had only daughter Mary, 2 at the time. Roy'soccu pation was general farmer.
Relatives and cemetery records say he was born in 1883 but the datepos ted is from his military registration.
