Gertrude Zellmer Hopp

HOPP ZELLMER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/22/2010 at 17:07:30

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984
Gertrude (Zellmer) Hopp
By Esther Hopp Hoeck

Laura Louise Gertrude Zellmer was born June 22, 1906, at the family farm four and one-half miles south of Moville, Iowa. She was the youngest child of the eleven children of Gustav and Louise Zellmer. She met and later married Rudolf Hopp on February 7, 1929, at the Salem Lutheran Church Parsonage at Rock Branch, rural Correctionville, Iowa. They rented a farm four miles east of Moville for three years then purchased the present farm five miles southeast of Moville where Gertrude still lives. Their four children are: Harold born January 6, 1930, Esther born January 13, 1932, Robert born December 21, 1936, and Alfred Dale born November 6, 1939.

On January 31, 1944, Rudolf died of a sudden heart attack at the age of forty-five, leaving his wife and four children. Deciding to stay on the farm to raise her children, she farmed with the help of her brothers, Frank Zellmer and Ed Zellmer until Harold finished high school and took over the farming. Harold then purchased the farm across the road in 1953, where he still lives. This farm belonged to the Gus Jahn estate.

Harold married Peggy Boysen of Laurel, Nebraska, on August 17, 1958. Their children are: Russell born September 20, 1959, Brent born September 24, 1960, Roderick born December 11, 1962, and Bradley born February 4, 1972. Russell married Dana Warren of Sioux City, Iowa, on June 17, 1983. She had one daughter, Sarah. They live at Anthon, Iowa, where she works for the Soil Conservation. Brent married Phyllis Sanderson of Moville on August 8, 1981, and is a farm manager for George Chipman of Estherville, Iowa, where they live. Roderick married Renae Miller of Moville on May 24, 1980, and they have three children: Nicolas, Natasha and Katie. He farms as a dairy farmer with his father near Moville. Bradley is still in school in the 6th grade.

Esther married Harlan Hoeck of Moville, Iowa, on February 24, 1952, and they live on a farm eight miles southeast of Moville. Their children are: Roger born May 5, 1953, Randy born July 5, 1956, Barbara born September 26, 1958. Roger married Nancy Young of Holdrege, Nebraska, on June 14, 1974. He works for Becton-Dickenson as a Machine Designer in Holdrege, Nebraska. They live in Loomis, Nebraska, and have two children, Jamie and Tim. Randy married Julie Kell of Marshalltown, Iowa, on January 15, 1983. He works as a Recreation Supervisor for the city of Marshalltown, Iowa, where they live. They have one son, Christopher. Barbara works as a Secretary for First National Bank in Sioux City, where she lives.

Robert married Sharon McKenzie on July 9, 1961. He works for Means of Sioux City, where they live. Their children are Charles born July 14, 1962, Tamara born June 18, 1963, Dean born March 11, 1967, and Teri born September 27, 1968. Charles goes to college in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is studying Electronics. Tamara works for St Luke’s Hospital in food service. Dean and Teri are still in school; Dean in the tenth grade and Teri in the ninth grade.

Alfred Dale married Mary Ann Swanziger of Volga, Iowa, on June 6, 1964. He works as a Mechanical Engineer and is an associate of Brooks, Borg, and Skiles of Des Moines. They have two children, Eric born January 12, 1968 and Heidi born March 22, 1972. Both children are still in school, Eric in the tenth grade and Heidi in the sixth grade.

Gertrude helped prepare and write this article; however, a few days after it was completed, she was killed in a car accident, November 22, 1983.