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Mankato resident, Edith (Crane) Hopman, 84, died Sunday, June 3, 2012 at Laurels Edge Assisted Living. Funeral services will be held 1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7th, 2012 at First Congregational United Church of Christ. Interment will be at Woodland Hills Memorial Park. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Woodland Hills Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Edith was born July 31, 1927 to Verner and Stella Crane of Pemberton, MN. She graduated from Pemberton High School in 1945 and went on to earn both 2 and 4 year degrees in Elementary Education from Mankato Teachers College. In 1971 she earned a Masters Degree in Education from Mankato State College. She taught elementary grades for a total of 43 years at Nicollet, Janesville, Pipestone and Mankato/North Mankatos Franklin and Hoover Elementary. After retiring from teaching, she remained active in church functions and volunteered at the MRCI Thrift Shop and the Blue Earth County Historical Society for many years.
She married Melvin Hopman of St. James on June 21, 1958 at the Congregational Church in Mankato. Although they had no children, Edith was the favorite aunt to her nieces & nephews. Some of her hobbies included ceramics, crossword puzzles, and Crane/Geary family history. She traced the 10 generations of Crane history to the Mayflower and before in England. She was a member of United Congregational Church of Christ, Anthony Wayne Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Society.
Edith is survived by sisters, Neva (Donald) Ikier of North Mankato and Gertrude (Darrell) Schubbe of Pemberton; sister in-laws, Verna Young and Eunice Luedtke; brother in-law, Donovan Hopman; and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, three brothers in-law, and one sister in-law.
