Florence M Hoppes

DECEMBER 19, 1921 - JULY 6, 2011

On the afternoon of November 2, 2010 I sat with my mother in her living room and asked her to tell me the story of her life.

Mom was happy to take a walk down memory lane as she remembered the events and good times associated with her life.

Mother was born in her family's home (log cabin) in McMinnville, Oregon on a cold December day. When it was apparent that she was on the way, her father rode to town on horseback to "fetch the doctor". A few years later, she and her family moved to Yamhill, Oregon where she attended a one room school house. During high school, because her family could no longer afford to stay together, she was sent to live and work for the Mayhew family who happened to be the neighbors of Percy and Mabel Cane. she became school friends with Shirley Gibson who was Mabel Cane's daughter. bill Cane and Tom Gibson were Shirley's brothers and soon the foursome became friends.

Mother was a member of the first graduating class of the new Yamhill High School in 1940. there were 35 students in her class. Mom was essentially responsible for her own upbringing and was required to earn enough money to support herself; so during High School, she worked at the Woodward Drug Store as a "soda jerk" (her works, not mine). After she graduated from high school she worked at Brightenbush Resort, a summer camp for kids, and then for the McCready Family in Forest Grove as a nanny for their two children. She married Bill Cane in 1941. Dad went into the air force shortly after they married and was assigned to a position in Waco, Texas. Mother remained in Oregon for the first part of the war and again, in order to support herself, she managed the chevron filling station in McMinnville. Eventually, she managed to find her way to Texas where she joined Dad. She decided that she needed yet another career so she attended and graduated from Johnson's Beauty School which offered special deals to the wives of military personnel. She eventually ended up running the air force beauty salon on the base. Mom returned with Dad, to McMinnville, Oregon as soon as he was discharged from the military.

Mother worked in a beauty salon in McMinnville while Dad got his start in the logging business. They lived in the Hutchcroft apartments with three other young couples who were also getting started with their lives. I was born in September of 1946 and Billy was born in January of 1949. As a result of a strike in the lumber industry in McMinnville, our family was forced to move to Florence, Oregon where there were thought to be more opportunities in the logging industry. As the industry changed, so did the direction of the family. In approximately three years we moved to Weaverville, California and then on to Redding in 1952.

Our first house in Redding was a lovely little place in Layton Oaks. Billy and I attended elementary school while living there. As a result of the growth of the lumber industry in Shasta County, we were eventually able to move to a larger place on Oleander Circle. We lived there throughout Billy's and my high school days. Bill went in the Navy at the beginning of the Viet Nam war and served until 1972. I married Ken Alvares, a Redding native, in 1968 and (against my better wishes), moved to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois where he was completing his graduate work in Psychology.

During the early years in Redding, Mother worked for the Maple Shop, Palmers Travel Agency, Nystrom's Accounting firm, Benton Air Field and finally Redding Aero where she met Don Hoppes. After Mom and Dad separated, she and Don were married in 1972. Don brought three children from his previous marriage to their family, Steven Patricia and Mark Hoppes. During her marriage to Don, she managed apartments for Bower and Ross. Don, a retired air force senior master sergeant was a certified air craft mechanic. With the exception of six years in Corvallis, Oregon, they lived and enjoyed a rewarding and full life at 2015 Carpenter Lane. Mom indicated that in her opinion, their greatest times were spent with their grandchildren (4) and with their great grandchildren (8). She particularly enjoyed entertaining their many friends as they passed through Redding and many stayed with them at their house.

Mom was a member of Beta Sigma Phi and enjoyed playing golf and bridge for many years. Don and Mother traveled across the United States pulling a mobile trailer when Don retired in 1990. They visited many air force bases and saw historical wonders that they had only read about.

Mom said she had a wonderful life, was blessed with a loving family and many wonderful friends. We were all blessed to have knower her.

Linda