Many times in my blog posts, I mention my maternal Grandma Holly Tisdale Hopkins. This is a picture of her reading her Bible when she was around 90 years of age and she is also looking at a Daily Bread devotional booklet. I've probably shared this picture before, because I love it - it really shows her personality, what was really her.
Grandma wasn't born a Hopkins though, she was born a Tisdale (which will probably be my T post!). She married a wonderful man, who was her first and only Sweetheart and they built a home and family together. This post is about his family.
This photo was taken about 1909. On the left is my Grandpa who I never met. George Alden (Alden) Hopkins was born 21 August 1906 in Boyne City, Michigan. As an infant, he traveled to Everett, Washington by train with his father George Alfred Hopkins and Mother Blanch Alpha Wolcott Hopkins. Many people in Michigan were heading west at this time for better jobs and money for their families. The Hopkins' joined the Wolcotts in a city where I would eventually be born and built a home on Rockefeller Street, which at the time was nothing but a muddy open space. Today the land where their homes were located is now part of the grounds of an elementary school. Here, Vera Alene Hopkins (above) would be born in 1908, Paul in 1909 and Philip in 1914.
Later the family would buy land in Lake Stevens, an almost wilderness area in the early teen years, where they would build a house and the family would settle and expand. Their mother Blanch Wolcott Hopkins was a talented writer of poetry and intelligent and friendly. Sadly, in 1916, she after attempting to end a pregnancy. Many in my family feel this is a good reason why it should be legal. I argue that this is a good example of paying attention to those around you and seeking to relieve young mothers who are bowing under pressure and stress, loving each other in tangible and meaningful ways. Her loss was haunting and indelible. George remained single and raised his family with the help of housekeepers, Auntie B and Mrs. Nutting.
Some of my family think this might have been taken before Blanch died because the children are dressed so nicely with attention to detail. Recently though I have studied this and wondered if it wasn't taken after their mother's death, perhaps wearing flowers from her funeral. L to R Vera Alene Hopkins Rehbine, George "Alden" Hopkins, Paul Wolcott Hopkins and Philip Sedgewick Hopkins (seated). About 1916.
About 1920, the Tisdale family moved to Lake Stevens where Holly's father was Superintendent of Schools and Principal of Lake Stevens High School (Go Vikings!). The Tisdale family and the Hopkins family both attended the Everett United Methodist Church where George Hopkins and Fred Tisdale became good friends. They both had families of 4 children, all about the same age and often would get in the car and go on picnics and adventures together after church. I can't say for certain it was true love, but Holly never had eyes for anyone else and I'm almost certain they knew they would marry long before they did at age 24 (Holly completed all her teaching requirements for a lifetime credential first because in those days married women did not teach).
The photo above was taken at Hemlock Pass in the Cascade Mountains and was sent back east to family in Michigan. Because it is such poor quality I am not certain who all the people are except for the first guy on the left is Alden, the 2nd may be Philip and the 3rd may be Clifton Tisdale, Grandma's brother who is often pictured wearing a cap like that and had the same build. The young woman is Holly and I do not know the other men, who were likely friends. The photo was probably taken my George Hopkins, though both of my great grandfathers were photographers!
On 2 June 1930 Holly and Alden were wed at the Everett United Methodist Church and took a short wedding trip to Skykomish, Washington. Alden returned home to his job building homes and Holly set up house in a small shack like cabin while Alden worked on their home on the side.
Alden had attained his Bachelor's Degree at the University of Washington in Business Management in order to run his own home building business.
This is the home he began building in 1929 on 4 acres across the road from his Father's and brothers' lands. Sadly the property left the family after 70 years and this is what it looks like today. It has been sad to see changes to the land, but at least the owner did not tear it down and build cookie cutter homes!
The business went well until Alden was sued, wrongfully in the opinion of my family, and lost a lot of money. No one could accuse Alden Hopkins of being lazy. He went to night school in the 1940s, driving to Seattle after work, to take classes at the Palmer Chiropractic College where he became a licensed chiropractor. He was also an elder of the 7th Day Church of God (which my family does not follow) and served many years as their pastor.
This is all those cute little kids, many years later: L to R, Philip Sedgewick Hopkins, George "Alden" Hopkins, Vera Alene Hopkins Rehbine and Paul Wolcott Hopkins. Vera married her cousin Mark Rehbine and moved back to Michigan where she taught school for many years and Mark was a Chrysler executive. Paul became a logger and worked for his in laws, the Neff family, before operating his own logging company. Philip remained in the family construction business and was well known in the Lake Stevens and surrounding Snohomish County communities.
Vera inherited the homestead and Paul and Philip built homes for their families on adjacent land. There were 13 living cousins, 11 of whom grew up next to each other so that the school bus driver had to say "All off for Hopkinsville!"
Holly and Alden had three daughters, Grace, Marilyn and Ruth, Ruth being my mother. When she was 16 years old, Alden died from the side effects of stroke, so I never met Alden or had opportunity to learn from him. Even though I do not agree with his beliefs, I have always admired the fact that he sought God with all his being and was willing to do anything that God called him to do, even if it was unpopular. If we get to meet people in Heaven and discuss life on earth, I would love to have a good long chat with him and get to know him on a personal level.
After Alden's death, Holly chose not to marry again, even though she was only 56 years old. We very much grew up in a "matriarchal" family. This photo was taken at Thanksgiving 1993. I am behind Grandma and my Mom and is next to Grandma, with her sisters also on the couch. Spouses and cousins are standing behind. Thanksgiving and Mother's Day were always spent together, occasionally at an aunt's home but generally at Grandma's. These were very special times for me, especially since I spent most of my growing up years as an only child, after my brother died in 1973.
This is what we looked like at our 2004 Reunion in Sooke, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. D in front, Mom and her husband Jack behind, Hubby holding A, me holding J, my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Bill. Their children and spouses were unable to come and my Aunt Grace was also able to come. We were the small group at the reunion that year but had a lot of fun. From Alden's family, I am the only one to have children. They are the future and I hope to pass on the torch of faith in God to them, the same torch that brought our ancestors to America almost 400 years ago.
1. John Hopkins (of Cambridge/Newtown 1634, of Hartford 1636) m Jane
2. Stephen Hopkins, 1637-1689 m Dorcas Bronson (lived Hartford, CT)
3. Lt. John Hopkins, 1662-1732 m Hannah Strong (lived in Hartford and Waterbury, CT)
4. Consider Hopkins, 1687-1727 m Mrs. Elizabeth Grayham, widow of George Graham (lived in West Hartford, CT)
5. Captain Consider Hopkins, 1727-1795 m Lydia Gilbert (lived in New Hartford, CT)
6. Mark Hopkins, 1764-1843 m Sarah Kellogg (lived in West Hartford, CT, Bridgewater and Prattsburg, NY)
7. Erastus Hopkins, 1804-1867 m Lydia Ann Parker (lived in Bridgewater and Prattsburg, NY and White Lake, Michigan)
Erastus and his cousin pioneered in Oakland County, Michigan and had this saw mill.
This is his home in Oakland County, Michigan which was designated a centennial farm.
Where Erastus, his wives and some of his children are buried in the White Lake, Michigan cemetery.
Dan G. Hopkins, Erastus' young son was killed at the Battle of South Mountain, Maryland in the Civil War. Another son George survived the war and went on to serve in politics as a private secretary to Michigan's governors, Bigley and Crosswell, in the Michigan legislature 1878-1882 and as Assistant Adjutant General, confidential secretary to Secretary of War Russell A. Alger. A third son also, surved, the war, my ancestor...
8. William Wadsworth Hopkins, 1828- 1871 m Harriet Calista Crittenden (lived in Oakland County Michigan and Benzie County, Michigan) He served as a gunsmith and blacksmith in the Civil War and was mustered out in Salt Lake City, UT after the war. He died young of Typhoid fever.
His daughter Mary Grace Hopkins True was a painter and as you can see from this photo she was quite good. She offered to give my Grandparents a painting for their wedding gift if they could pay the postage from Michigan, but they were quite poor, being newly married at the start of the depression, so they were unable to attain the painting.
9. Sedgewick Erastus Hopkins, 1854-1932 m Mary Belitz (lived in White Lake and Interlochen, Michigan)
Sedgewick and family in front of their home in Interlochen, Michigan
L to R: Edith Harriet Hopkins Rehbine, George Alfred Hopkins (my great grandfather), Sedgewick Erastus Hopkins, Abbie Grace Hopkins Nelson, Nina Lydia Hopkins Madden, Mary Belitz Hopkins holding Erma Naomi Hopkins Riley, Ella Viola Hopkins Cole and Etta Ruth Hopkins Lewis. Interlochen, Michigan.
As their children grew older, they rented out rooms for tourists and it was called Pine Gables.
This photo was taken ca 1900-1905 of Sedgewick Erastus and Mary Belitz Hopkins.
10. George Alfred Hopkins, 1882-1949 m Blanch Wolcott (lived in Interlochen, Michigan and Everett and Lake Stevens, WA)
Nina, George, Iram and Sedgewick Hopkins taken during their visit to see son/brother George Alfred Hopkins in Lake Stevens, Washington. I must have these ladies to thank for my stout figure!
11. George Alden Hopkins, 1906-1962 m Holly Mabel Tisdale Hopkins (lived in Everett and Lake Stevens, WA)
12. Mom, 1946- m Daniel Eugene Johnson 1945-2000, divorced. (lived in Lake Stevens, Everett, Snohomish, Granite Falls, Marysville, Mukilteo, Laurel and Ferndale, Washington)
13. Me, 1966- m Hubby 1998 (lived in Everett, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Granite Falls, Snohomish, Mukilteo, Bellingham, Laurel and Ferndale WA and Rancho Cordova and Sacramento, CA)
14. D, J, and A ... and hopefully on to the future! :o)
Congratulations if you read this far or thanks if you scrolled down to see that H is also for Honey! My best friend Shelley has always wanted to keep bees and so this year she dove in and received her Carnolian Bees a couple week ago. Soon she will be blogging at Blessed Bee all about her adventures! She sent me this photos which she took and I cropped and changed to low res so that I could see the beginnings...
The hive, sitting up on blocks and near the house. Can you see the bees buzzing near the entrance?
Here are some more bees entering the hive. They are busy setting up a home and collecting pollen. I can't wait to see what happens next!
5 comments:
All those photos are so awesome - and the peek into your family history was fascinating!
Did you make it to the Highland Games? Ruth was hoping to run into you - and I told Eric to look for you all, but he didn't see you all. Guess there was a big crowd!
Wow, that is very wonderful that you know your family history like that. We recently had a family reunion and found a cousin in CA is working to put together our family story.
Great photos and family story.
And, oh, the honey! Is this someone close to you so that you might have fresh honey? If so, I will be green with envy. I think right now I have 6 different varieties of honey in the house. I love it!
I enjoyed the old photos of the family. Those are always interesting to me.
Thank you for all your research into our family history. I never met my Washington cousins, and until just the past few years, knew little about how far back the family went. I grew up in Oakland, County, MI, and Vera Rehbine was my great aunt. I am a grand daughter of Ralph August Rehbine, and my father is Glenn Howard Rehbine. Two years ago, I found two oil paintings in my parent's basement. Since I am an artist, myself, my parents decided to pass them on to me. One was painted by Vera Rehbine, and the other was by Grace Hopkins True. They were passed on to my dad at the time when Ralph moved out of the Rehbine family homestead house on Farmbrook Road in Southfield/Franklin MI, where my dad grew up, and Mark and Vera Rehbine lived right next door. That was the house everyone pulled together to build. My dad has many stories to tell. His sister, Ruth Rehbine Young, has now passed away. She was also a great family history researcher and collector, and organized many family reunions in MI.
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