Summerville, Oregon
Dr. Albert B. Hopkins, 95, of Summerville, died Jan. 29, 2004, at the Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Summerville Cemetery Chapel with graveside services following.
Dr. Hopkins was born on Sept. 29, 1908, in Texarkana, Ark., to the Reverend Benjamin Franklin Hopkins and Mary Ann Green. In 1929 he moved to La Grande with his family when his father was assigned as the minister of the Methodist Episcopal South Church on N. Fir Street. That summer he joined the first class at the newly opened college in La Grande, now known as Eastern Oregon University.
On May 7, 1932, he married Phyllis Nadine Munn in Baker City, Oregon. For the next seven years, the couple taught at the Oregon Trail School south of Nyssa. From 1939 to 1946, Dr. Hopkins was a teacher, coach and superintendent at Imbler. For the next four years, he was the Superintendent at Union before moving to Eugene in 1950 to earn his doctorate at the University of Oregon. He was chosen in 1952 to be the Dean of Education at Montana State University-Havre. Two years later he joined the faculty as the Dean of Education at Montana State University in Billings where he retired in 1975 as Professor Emeritus.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of Idaho at Caldwell in 1938, his master’s degree at Oregon State University in 1948 and his doctorate from the University of Oregon in 1955. He was a life long educator who enjoyed success in all of his endeavors. While at Union, the district won the state championships in football, basketball and track.
Upon his retirement, he returned to his farm near Summerville, which the couple had purchased during World War II. Dr. Hopkins enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and fishing and working with cattle and chickens. He particularly enjoyed cutting his winter firewood. He was actively engaged with his farm work up until two years prior to his death.
Survivors include his wife with whom he was married for 71 years, and his two sons and their spouses, Doran and Fran Hopkins and Gerald and Mary Hopkins, all of Summerville. He had four grandchildren, Frank Hopkins of Devine, Texas, Rene Marinelli of San Antonio, Texas, Ann Smith of Killeen, Texas, and Angela Mitsch of Columbia Falls, Mont.; and nine great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his brother, Olin Hopkins of Salem, Utah; sisters, Edith Hopkins of Baker City, and Dorothea Weinmann of Redmond.
Four brothers and three sisters all died earlier.
Those who wish, may make contributions in memory of Dr. Albert Hopkins to the Elgin Methodist Church in care of Daniels Chapel of the Valley, 1502 7th Street, La Grande OR 97850. You may view an unedited obituary and sign the guest book online at www.danielschapel.com.
Used with permission from: The Record Courier, Baker City, Oregon, February, 2004
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor