Irma Orth Hopkins

CEDAR FALLS — Irma Orth Hopkins, 87, of Cedar Falls died Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014, at UPH Allen Memorial Hospital.

She was born April 13, 1927, in rural Jesup, the daughter of Louis A. and Olinda E. Riensche Orth. She married Kenneth W. Hopkins on Aug. 10, 1947, at Zion Lutheran Church in Jubilee. He died April 1, 2009. She graduated from Jesup High School in 1944, and received her AA in elementary education from Wartburg College. She later earned her BS in elementary education from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. She taught elementary school in Iowa and Pennsylvania and then was employed with the State of Pennsylvania as an employment counselor. Irma was actively involved in Lutheran churches and choirs in Decorah, Ankeny, Atlantic and Jesup and Gettysburg, Pa. She was a member of the Metropolitan Chorale, AAUW-Waterloo Chapter and Rural Women’s Study in Jesup.

She is survived by a daughter, Diane (Bruce) Holmes of Cedar Falls; two sons, Ronald (Susan) of Duncannon, Pa., and Stephen (Sara) of Newton; seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a sister, Verona (Edgar) Zelle of Waverly; and a brother, Orville Orth of Jesup.

She was preceded in death by three sisters, Margaret Schildmeier, Miriam Frush and Arlene Wirtz.

A service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. John Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls with burial in Cedar Crest Cemetery, Jesup. Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Richardson Funeral Service and also for one hour prior to services at the church. Memorials may be directed to the American Lutheran Church in Jesup, St. John Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, or the American Cancer Society.

Condolences may be left at www.richardsonfuneralservice.com.