Orange Hopkins, 88, a former Baker City resident, died April 2, 2005, at his home in Winnemucca, Nev.
His funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.
Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. There will be a reception afterward at the Baker Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St.
Orange Allen Hopkins was born July 10, 1916, at Lamar, Colo., to Olive and Chester Hopkins. He had a family of five brothers and sisters: Calvin Hopkins, Evelyn Ames, Emma Ellis, Bill Hopkins and Ava Fullerton. The family moved to Idaho when Orange was a teen. He had a great love for horses, and worked with them his entire life.
He married Eila “Babe” Buffington in August 1940. Together they had seven children: Joanne Allen, Richard Hopkins, Donna Coble, Kaye Fleming, Linda Peters, Rosanne Van Patten, and Chester Hopkins. They were married for 30 years.
Orange lived and worked in many Western states as a roofer, construction worker, sheepherder, and apple orchard manager. He owned and operated an auto-wrecking yard in Portland for many years.
While auto racing, he met and became friends with the Ray brothers, Joe and Jess. The family soon attended Pastor Ray’s Church.
Baker City was Orange’s home during his highway construction years. He retired from highway construction work in 1980 and moved to Boise. He met Carolyn Clarke while in Boise and they had a long, loving relationship.
Orange flea-marketed horse tack and treasures of all kinds throughout the Northwest. He made many friends, who knew him as “Baker White Hat.” In his later years he moved to Winnemucca to live near his daughter, Donna, and son-in-law, Jerry Coble, who took very loving care of him.
Orange enjoyed his seven children, 32 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. He taught them all that family was very important. You could always find him at the “Hopkins Reunion” with an armful of watermelons, and spraying for mosquitoes on the second Sunday in August.
Purple was his favorite color. His love of hunting and fishing was always a part of his life. He took his seven kids deer hunting and taught them a love of the outdoors. He enjoyed cat fishing from his boat with his family on the Snake River. He amazed all of his family by water skiing, riding motorcycles and traveling while in his 70s and 80s.
Orange was always there to help and talk to. He will be greatly missed by his family and numerous friends.
Orange is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Joanne and Bill Allen of Gaston, Donna and Jerry Coble of Winnemucca, Kaye and Walt Fleming of Naples, Fla., and Rosanne and Gary Van Patten of Baker City; a daughter, Linda Peters of Portland; sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Loretta Hopkins of St. Helens, and Chet and Jeanette Hopkins of Coulee Dam, Wash.; and by Eila Lewis of Baker City.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings; a granddaughter, Tonia Roper; a grandson, Michael Coble; and grandbabies.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, April 8, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor