HOOPES, Fern

Eastern Arizona Courier, Safford, AZ Wednesday, April 27, 2005 Fern Burtcher Hoopes, 83, was remembered in memorial services April 19 at the Safford LDS Stake Center. She was born to Fern Tippetts and Arthur Burtcher on Oct. 21, 1921, in Virden, N.M. Fern and her older sister, Ruth, were born 15 months apart and were inseparable. They lived at Bitter Creek Ranch until Ruth was old enough to go to school, when they moved to Morenci and lived in Burro Alley. Until they were older and married, the girls continued to spend their summers and vacations at the ranch with Grandmother and Granddaddy Glaspie. Through the years, they continued to visit the ranch several times a year with their families for picnics and to reminisce. They lived in Morenci, and their mother worked at the Mercantile until the mine was shut down because of the Depression. They moved to Safford and lived there when Fern was in the sixth and seventh grades. The family moved to Duncan and the girls attended school there until they graduated from high school. Fern was student body president her senior year and valedictorian of her graduation class. Ruth attended the University of Arizona, and Fern joined her in the fall of 1939. A couple months into the school year, Fern met Gordon Hoopes of Safford at a student union dance. They were a "steady couple" the rest of the school year. Stake President Spencer W. Kimball married Gordon and Fern at the Safford Woman's Club on June 23, 1940. They built a home on Central Avenue for $3,300, and Michal was born the July after WWII started. Gordon was exempted from services because he was a farmer but was later drafted into the Navy in the fall of 1944. Debbie was born in November, just before Gordon left for active duty. After his discharge from the Navy, Gordon, Fern, Michal and Debbie moved to the farm in Central. Danny was born in July of 1947. Gordon was baptized into the LDS church in 1947 and, in 1949, he and Fern were remarried in the Mesa Temple and their children were sealed to them. In 1953, they purchased a ranch near Cherry Creek, Colo., where they stayed until 1955 when they moved back to the Gila Valley. Brian was born in Denver, Colo., in March 1955. Gordon retained the farm in Central, but the family purchased a home in Safford on Relation street. Becki was born in July of 1957. They lived there for a couple of years before purchasing their home on Elm Avenue, where they lived for 45 years. Throughout her life, Fern was interested in everything and was a wealth of information. In the fall of 1963, she enrolled at Eastern Arizona College, graduated with honors and continued her degree in elementary education at Arizona State University. She graduated 75th in a class of 3,500. Fern began teaching at Lafe Nelson School in 1968, moved to Dorothy Stinson School for a few years before returning to Lafe Nelson. She began her career teaching second grade, but taught third for most of it. After her retirmment, she tutored in math and reading and taught art. She loved teaching and her students. It seemed like she was everyone's teacher -- and their favorite -- because she saw former students everywhere she went. She was always eager to catch up on their lives and learn about their families. Fern never stopped teaching because she loved learning so much that she thought everyone else must love to learn, too. Gordon and Fern loved to travel. They bought a travel trailer and drove across the Western United States and Canada. Several of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren had the good fortune of traveling with them on some of their trips. Fern was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the church and held many positions in the different organizations. True to form, however, her favorite calling was teaching the gospel doctrine class, which she did for 12 consecutive years. In 1992-93, she and Gordon served a mission at the visitor's center of the Washington, D.C., Temple -- an experience they both enjoyed. Of all the interested and loves Fern had, her love for her family was most important to her. She is survived by her husband of almost 65 years, Gordon; daughters, Michal (Dalton) Overstreet, Debbie (Dave) Powell, Becki (Chuck) Corley; sons, Danny (Diane) and Brian (Donna); grandchildren, Shelley Sampson, Bret Bundrick, Bobbi Robinson, Shawn and Jason Dolan, Adam, Tanner and Luke Hoopes, Hannah DeRusha, Allison Hoopes, Kyle, Sarah and Cody Hoopes, Candace Corley and Bryce Powell; 12 great-grandchildren; Rick, Scott and Greg Overstreet and their families; sister, Ruth Jones and family; niece, Leslie Larson; cousin, Sandra Ross and family, and many other Burtcher and Tippetts cousins. Fern was preceded in death by son-in-law, Pat Dolan, in 1972.