Marjorie Hopper

Marjorie E. Hopper, 89, of Ventura, Iowa, died Saturday, July 28, 2012 at the I.O.O.F. Home in Mason City, Iowa.

  Funeral services will be held 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug, 4, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Ventura with Pastor Daird Korth officiating.  Burial will be in Concord Township Cemetery in Garner, Iowa.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 3, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., in Garner, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church. 

Marjorie Eileen Hopper, the daughter of Howard and Hazel (Halverson) Taylor, was born Oct. 4, 1922 on a farm just west of the entrance to Pilot Knob State Park near Forest City.  She was baptized at the home of her maternal grandparents because the Miller Church was being built.  She attended Hayfield Consolidated School where she was president of her high school class all four years and graduated as class valedictorian.  She received a $100 scholarship to attend Waldorf College and received her Normal Training Teaching Certificate.  She taught at  Garfield Township no. 1 rural school located one mile from her parent’s home from 1941-42.  She then taught at Colo for two years before moving to Garner in 1945 where she taught in the junior high school.   On March 11, 1945 she was married to Richard Hopper at Miller Lutheran Church.  They made their home in Ventura and Margie began teaching fifth grade at Ventura until 1948 when she took time off to raise her children.  In 1963 she began teaching eighth grade in Klemme and received her teaching degree from Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls.  In 1969 she returned to the Ventura school system and taught fourth grade until her retirement in 1987.  After her retirement, Margie and Richard, both helped their son, David, at Natural Plus Nursery.  She enjoyed spending time with her family and watching  their activities.  Margie and Richard loved to travel taking their kids to a World’s Fair and later traveling to all 50 states and several foreign countries.  They also spent many summers fishing in Minnesota.  

She was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Dorcas Circle, Ventura Book Club and the Ventura Federated Garden Club.  

Margie is survived by her husband, Richard, of Ventura; three children, Rick (Connie) Hopper of Wallingford, Iowa, David (Linda) Hopper of Clear Lake and Carolyn (Greg) Knop of Nevada, Iowa; grandchildren, Taylor Hopper, Annalisa (Corey) Miner, David Hopper (special friend, Mary Pederson), Chad (Brooke) Knop and Jennie (Brad) Melton; great-grandchildren, Sierra and Corey David Miner, Cade, Jax, Bianca and Dekker Knop, Bailey Montgomery and Gavin Melton; a sister, Arlis Bertelsen of Thornton; a sister-in-law, Ruby Taylor of Garner; and many nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Wayne Taylor; and a brother-in-law, Eugene Bertelsen.