OBITUARY
Name: Martha B. (Hopken) Dubois
From: The Nebraska Signal, Geneva,
Nebraska
Date: Thursday, September 24, 1981
Martha B. DuBois was born to Christ Hopken Sr.,
and Anna Oellien Hopken on July 8, 1904, near Bruning, and passed away on
September 16, 1981, at Geneva at the age of 77 years, 2 months and 8 days. She
was one of 12 children in the family.
Martha was baptized at the Evangelical Lutheran Church near Ohiowa on January 9,
1905, and was confirmed there when she was 14 years of age. She received her
education in the Prairie Grove school near Bruning and continued her education
in the Strang high school.
She was married to Verne W. DuBois of Strang on February 3, 1925.
They started their married life on Verne’s father’s farm north of Strang, which
they later purchased. They remained on the farm until her husband’s death in
1966. She was also preceded in death by her parents, five sisters and five
brothers.
Martha is survived by one sister, Mrs. Elsie Reinsch of Geneva, and many nieces
and nephews.
A short time after Verne’s death, she moved to an apartment in Geneva until June
of 1980, when her health started failing and she made her home at Bethesda
Nursing home in Exeter. In the fall of 1980, she moved to Heritage of Geneva to
be closer to her relatives and friends.
Martha and her husband loved to travel and made several trips to California and
other points of interest.
While living in Geneva, she worked at several rest homes and the Fillmore County
hospital. She loved to care for the sick and elderly and spent many hours
visiting the sick and running errands for them to keep them comfortable. For
many years she also helped with the Red Cross Bloodmobile.
Martha was a member of First Congregational United Church of Christ of Geneva, a
member of Rebekah Lodge of Geneva and a charter member of the Belle Prairie
Homemakers of Strang.
Funeral services were held at the Geneva Congregational United Church of Christ
on September 19, 1981, with Rev. Charles Schepel officiating.
The organist was Mrs. Lorrie Waldron, and curt Prater was the vocalist. Music
performed was “In the Garden,” and “Ivory Palaces,” and “No Longer Lonely.”
Pallbearers were Kenneth Heinrichs, Lambert Hopken, LaVerle Hopken, Robert
Ohnesorge, Dean Reinsch, and Richard L. Reinsch. Interment was in the Geneva
cemetery.
Farmer and Son funeral home had charge of the arrangements.