Edwin "Gene" Hoppe, oldest child of Ed and Lois (McLaughlin) Hoppe, was born near Gretna, Phillips County, Kansas on August 20, 1928 and died on August 31, 1992 near Farnam, in Lincoln County, Nebraska at the age of 64 years and 11 days.

Gene grew up south of Moorefield, Nebraska where his parents farmed. He attended school at Mulberry Ridge, Curtis Ag, Moorefield High and Farnam High School where he graduated in 1946.

In 1950, he entered the U.S. Army, training at Fort Riley, Kansas before going overseas to serve in the Korean War until the summer of 1952. He then returned home to farm with his parents.

On September 18, 1953 he was united in marriage to Hazel Elizabeth (Betty) Thompson at the Farnam Methodist Church. While living near Moorefield, five children were born to them: John, Wesley, Wendel, Weldon and Sharla.

In 1962, a severe hailstorm forced the family to leave the farm and move to Farnam. While continuing to farm until 1980, Gene also served as bus driver, street superintendent and village marshal in Farnam. He was an insurance agent and crop hail adjuster for many years and for the past six years he has been Farnam’s paper carrier. In his later years he enjoyed several hobbies, but he enjoyed most of all his grandchildren and the many friends who needed his help or just stopped to talk.

He was a member of the Farnam United Methodist Church and the American Legion.

Although he suffered many problems with his health in his life, Gene carried a slip of paper in his billfold that read:

         Do not worry whether or not
               the sun will rise,
         Be prepared to enjoy it.

He will be greatly missed by his wife, Betty and parents, Ed and Lois of Farnam; two sons and wives, Wendel and Donna Hoppe of The Woodlands, Texas and Weldon and Paula Hoppe of Colon, Nebraska; a daughter and husband, Sharla and Brian Rader of Hickman, Nebraska; two sisters and husbands, Mary Ellen and Rex Stewart of Omaha, Nebraska and Carol and Ed Warner of Littleton, Colorado; a brother and wife, Glen and Marlene Hoppe of Doniphan, Nebraska; ten grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by two sons, John in 1954 and Wesley in 1976.

In the past few years, he put much effort into emulating the lives of his grandfathers, who were pioneers in Nebraska. He raised a team of oxen and trained them to pull using his Grandfather Hoppe’s original yoke. His beard gave him a resemblance to his Great-Grandfather Gibson, who travelled to California, crossing Nebraska with a team of oxen in 1859.

The following poem is from Gibson’s memorial service in 1891:

     ’Tis hard to break the tender cord,
          Where love has bound the heart,
     ’Tis hard, so hard, to speak the word,
          ’Til heaven, we must part.

Services were at the Farnam United Methodist Church at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday September 3, 1992 with Rev. Arnie Teachout officiating. Interment was at Farnam Cemetery with military honors by the Farnam American Legion Post #288.