On July 5th 1942, a little girl was born to William John and Christine Ina Totty in Maud, Oklahoma. Her name was Nina Marie. She was born into a family with an older sister, Clara Elizabeth “Beth”, and an older brother, William Marion Bartlett “Bill”. She later would have two more brothers added to the family, John Darrell and Edward Lawrence. She lived in Lindsay until her junior year of high school where they moved to Strathmore until she married her sweetheart of two years, Emzy Cope on September 15th, 1959. To their family they had two children, Sonya Renee and Randall “Randy” Lee. She was a wonderful mother and great reflection of God’s love. She taught Sonya how to sew, cook and taught them both about her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Nina and Emzy became pastors in 1964 at the Lindsay Church of God. As a pastor’s wife she was devoted to the church and you could always find her helping with the fundraisers for the church such as making fried pies, cinnamon rolls, and peanut brittle. She also made quilts, helped catered meals and taught Sunday school. During the 55 years of pastoring, they also pastored the Church of God in Woodland, California and Goshen, California. She touched the lives of so many wonderful people with her loving heart and warm hugs!
She was a wonderful grandmother to her seven grandchildren so full of love and compassion and really invested herself into their lives. She became a second mother to one of her grandchildren, Tim, and devoted herself to help in raising him. She also was an amazing great-grandmother to nineteen great-grandchildren. Sixteen years ago she became a mother for a third time when she received custody of three of her great grandchildren and has been a outstanding mother and really made them the young adults they are today. She sacrificed so much and never once complained it was just who she was.
She entered into the arms of Jesus on October 3rd 2019 at home in Goshen, California with her family surrounding her holding her hand as she crossed over to her heavenly home. She was preceded in death by her parents John and Tina Totty, Her sister Beth Dye, Her brothers Bill Totty and Ed Totty. Preceding her also in death was three of her grandchildren, Christa Dawn, Eric Michael, and Ashley Marie.
She left behind her husband (Babe) of 60 years, Emzy Cope of Goshen, California; her Daughter Sonya Cope of Strathmore,California; her Son, Randy Cope and wife Joan of Bakersfield, California; and her brother Darrell Totty and wife Sandra of Visalia, California; along with her four grand children, Tim Gibson of Goshen, California; Ryan Cope, Brendan Cope, and Lindsey Hatten of Bakersfield, California; the three great-grandchildren she was raising as her own. Casidee, Jonathan and Miracle Minkler, as well as sixteen more great-grandchildren.
Her Celebration of Life Service will be on Saturday, October 19th, 2019 at the Goshen Church of God at 10:00am. The address is 6416 Ave. 308, Visalia, California, 93291.
She fought a good fight, she finished her course and she definitely kept her faith! (2 Timothy 4:7).
We love you Nina, Grandma, Mom, Babe. See you just above the trees someday!
