June 26,2006

BILL HOPKINS

Bill "Hoppy" Hopkins, 74, of Wake Village, Texas, died Thursday, June 22,2004 in an Osceola, Ark., hospital. Mr. Hopkins was born July 9,1931 in New Boston, Texas. He was a retired truck driver with McCory Trucking Firm, York Pa., a police beat reporter, a steeple-jack, a smoke jumper and an  undercover DEA agent, a fourth degree Knights of Columbus, a lobbyist, a member of St. Edwards  Catholic Church and a World War II and Korean War Air Force veteran. Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Hopkins of Wake Village; two sons, Michael D. Hopkins of Taylorville, Ga., and John Hopkins of Prescott, Ark.; four daughters, Jean M. Herman of Morgantown, W. Va., Mary K. Turney and Juanita C.
Merritt of Texarkana; and Theresa A. Griggs of Atlanta, Texas; one sister, Emily Ligon of Wake Village; two special friends, Tom and T.J. Hadley; 15 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives. Mass will be 10 a.m. today at St. Edward Catholic Church with the Rev. Phillip Reaves officiating. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, under direction of East Funeral Home, Downtown. Memorials may be made to St. Edwards Catholic Church or the battered women's shelter. Relatives  will be at 616 MacArthur Drive, Wake Village. Online registration is at www.mem.com.