Mary Jane "Jane" (McCoy) Hopkins (1856-1934)

MCCOY, HOPKINS, SHORETT, MCDONALD, GALES

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 3/4/2021 at 18:44:20

From Nevada Evening Journal February 3, 1934 (page 1)

Final Rites for Mrs. John Hopkins Held Here Today

A pioneer Story county woman was laid to rest in St. Patrick's cemetery here today.

Requiem high mass for Mrs. John Hopkins, 77, who died at her home, 1104 Tenth street, Nevada Wednesday, January 31, was celebrated at St. Patrick's church this morning at 10 o'clock, by her pastor Rev. Daniel A. Gorman, assisted by Rev. Father Frien of St. Anthony and Rev. Mr. Duhig of Emmetsburg.

The church was filled with relatives and friends gathered to pay a final tribute of love and respect to this beloved woman, whose passing had caused the deepest sorrow in the community.

Mrs. Hopkins, whose maiden name was Jane McCoy, was born at Benton's Ferry, West Virginia, December 19, 1856, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roger McCoy.

The family came west to Iowa in 1862, settling first near Clinton in Jackson county. Seven years later they came to Story county, establishing the family home on a farm a mile and a half west of Colo.

There she grew to young womanhood and was married on October 3, 1875 to John Hopkins, a young neighbor lad who had some out to Iowa from Lafayette, Indiana, in 1854 with his family. The Hopkins family first settled on government land six miles south of Ames.

They were married in Nevada by Rev. Father Mackey of Boone, who was at that time joint pastor of the Boone and Nevada churches.

From the time of their marriage until 1886 Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins had their home on a farm two miles northwest of Colo.

From there they moved to Webster City where they lived until 1890, when they returned to Story county and located in Nevada, continuing their home here until 1912, when they moved to Des Moines.

After eight years residence in Des Moines Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins returned to Nevada and established a home and in 1925 occupied the new home at 1104 Tenth street, thus celebrating the golden anniversary of their marriage.

Their wedding was celebrated in a more auspicious way on October 3, 1930 when the fifty-fifth anniversary was observed in a fitting manner.

Two of the six daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins who grew to womanhood preceded the mother in death. Mrs. Sadie Shorett died November 1916 and Mrs. Lyda Shorett in July, 1924.

She leaves besides her husband, four daughters and one son. The daughters from a distance had all hastened home upon learning of her illness and had arrived in time to comfort her last hours and were at the bedside at her passing, to add their comfort and encouragement to the husband and father in his deep sorrow.

The son Richard had arrived here on a visit before his mother was taken ill and was with his sister Blanche and his father during the last illness.

The children are Miss Anna Hopkins of Los Angeles, Richard Hopkins of Troy, N. Y., Mrs. Francis McDonald and Miss Ella Hopkins of Colo and Mrs. N. W. Gales of Davenport and a brother A. O. McCoy of Colo.

Among the relatives here from a distance to attend the funeral were Mrs. N. W. Gales, Roger Gales and Mr. and Mrs. William Gales of Davenport; Dr. T. R. McCoy and Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Knapp of Waterloo; Thomas Fagan and A. W. Rose and Kathryn Ascherl of Duncombe, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Duhig and James Duhig of Emmetsburg; and James and Marcella Collins of Cummings, Iowa.

Besides these there were numerous relatives and a large group of old neighbors and friends from the Colo neighborhood, as well as from other parts of the county.