Mary Ann Hopkins

Mary A. Hopkins, 94, completed her journey on Sunday, July 20, 2014 at the Hospice House in Northern Idaho after a long, happy life.

Mary was born August 24, 1919 in Ainsworth, Nebraska on the day her oldest half brother came home from WWI. When Mary was 9, Joseph and Pearl Jaques moved their family to Montana for a new start after the sand storms of South Dakota had ruined their crops.

The family lived in Circle, MT from 1928 to 1934. Another drought brought on a move to western Montana where Mary graduated from Lone Pine High School in 1938. Mary was devoted to her family, dropping out of school for a year to take care of her mother when she broke her hip. Entertainment consisted of playing board games, listening to the radio, community dances, and in the summer playing baseball, shooting gophers and rounding up wild horses for a rodeo.

Mary graduated in 1942 from nursing school. That same year she joined the Army and worked in Modesto, CA nursing the returning wounded men from World War II. She was honorably discharged as a second lieutenant which was a source of teasing between her and her future husband who was a sergeant in the Army during WWII.

In 1947, Mary completed nurse anesthetist school in Salt Lake City and returned to Hamilton, MT. She was the only nurse anesthetist at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital so in addition to scheduled surgeries she was on call for any emergency.

On a blind date in 1950 Mary met Ed Hopkins and they were married April 4, 1951. Mary and Ed worked hard to make a living for their family and eventually they were able to buy their own dairy farm in Corvallis, MT. Mary continued to work at the hospital, while raising her children and helping to run the family farm. She always had a big garden to provide the family with canned goods during the winter.

In their later years, church became a big part of their lives as well as traveling, dancing with the "Golden Agers", playing pinochle, and visiting with family and friends. After Ed's passing, Mary moved to Helena, MT in 2009 and in 2011 to Post Falls, ID where her daughter had relocated.

People were drawn to Mary with her love of family, gentleness, goodness, and her quick wit. She will be greatly missed but we know because of her faith we will see her once again and rejoice that she is in the presence of Jesus.

Mary was preceded in death by husband Ed Hopkins, son Mike Hopkins, daughter Edine Zimmerman, granddaughter Candy Johnston, son-in-law Martin Jacobson, brothers Tom and Paul Jaques, and sister Gertrude Sorenson.

She is survived by daughter Ann Jacobson of Post Falls, and daughter Patty (Wally) Geiger of Hot Springs, MT. She was grandmother to three grandsons, Chris Fifield, Josh (Laura) Fifield, and Mike (Honey) Geiger; and granddaughters Lainey (Robert) Dyer and Debbie (Darrell) Caster. Bringing her additional joy were her great grandchildren, Alyssa Fifield, Rilyn and Koen Fifield, Gavin and Trinity Geiger, and Robbie Dyer. Also special in her life were nieces, Beverly (Irwin) Bangen and Patsy Sorenson, and caregivers, Stevie Smith and Debra Nicoletti.

Thank you to Hospice of North Idaho staff and volunteers who helped transition Mary to her final destination in comfort and peace.

Donations in memory of Mary are suggested to Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835 or Union Gospel Mission (Center for Women and Children), 1224 E. Trent, Spokane, WA 99202.