On November 5, 2020 Virginia “Ninny” Frances Sibley Hopper (100) made her hop into Jesus’ arms and reunited with her husband of 47 years, Hugh, and both her sons, Galen and Kevin. She came into this world during the Spanish Flu Epidemic and left it during the Covid Pandemic. In between those points Virginia shared much faith, hope, charity, and LOVE.
VA, as some called her, was born March 14, 1920, at Coody’s Bluff, OK to Dora Louisa (Rankin) and Emory Ambrose Sibley. She had six siblings. After graduation from Nowata High School, she attended Bethany Nazarene College and Oklahoma University. She became a secretary at Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, OK and was a member of Beta Sigma Phi.
Virginia married Hugh Hopper on August 30, 1947 in Nowata, OK and was a homemaker in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. When the children were in school full-time, she became a substitute teacher at Green Acres Junior High School in Bossier City, LA. Virginia then worked 22-years for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and later served on its Shreveport board of directors.
Mrs. Hopper was a member of Northside Baptist Church in Milledgeville and was previously an active member of the Haynes Avenue Baptist Church in Shreveport, LA, She taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for decades.
Virginia loved people. She always had a funny story, joke, kind word, or grasshopper hop for everyone. She was daring--she rode jet skis, tricycles, and a hot-air balloon even in her 90s. She had a sweet spirit, and the lights of her life were her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Those left to cherish her memories and giggle at her antics are daughter Carol and her husband Larry Bader of Milledgeville, GA; daughters-in-love Bonnie (Land) Hopper of Magnolia, TX and Gail Musarra of Silsbee, TX; five grandchildren: Matt Hopper and his wife Jenni (Talbert) of New Braunfels, TX; Joe Bader and his wife Mary (Cepeda) of Atlanta, GA; Kimby (Hopper) DeWolf and her husband Josh of Montgomery, TX; B.J. Hopper of Huntsville, AL; and Kasey Hopper of Nederland, TX; six great-grandchildren: Lucy, Juliette, and Kate DeWolf of Montgomery, TX; Teagan, Quinn, and Barrett Hopper of New Braunfels, TX, and two step-great-grandsons, Colin Talbert and Josh Dearing of Texas.
We give special thanks to the people at Fellowship Home at Meriwether and Hospice Care Options who cared and loved her so much during the last years of her life.
A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, November 14, 2020 under the direction of Centuries Memorial Funeral Home in Shreveport, LA. Dr. Mike Anderson will officiate. Visitation with the family will be at 1pm central time with services following at 2 pm that same day. The service will also be livestreamed. Pallbearers will be Joe C. Bader, Joe S. Bader, Larry Barbee, Matt Hopper, Malcolm Parker, Terry Traylor, and Harold White.
The family suggests memorials may be made to Haynes Avenue Baptist Church, Northside Baptist Church, or a charity of your choice.
