Hopson

Joan Elizabeth Hopson, 76, died Wednesday morning at her home in Penn Township.

Born Dec. 4, 1930, in Butler, she was the only child of Oral and Bess Collins Wagner.

She was a lifelong resident of Penn Township.

Mrs. Hopson was a very active member of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, where, among other things, she helped serve funeral dinners, was a Eucharistic minister and helped count money for the church.

A registered nurse, she graduated from the Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in 1951, worked for almost 40 years in the operating room at Butler Memorial Hospital and was instrumental in establishing the first IV team in the hospital's history. She retired in 1993 to care for her beloved granddaughter, Nicole Smith.

Later she worked part time at St. John Lutheran Home in Mars, where she passed medicine to Alzheimer's patients.

She followed the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers games avidly and attended many of the games. She was a gourmet cook, read cookbooks like novels and was happiest when she cooked for her family. She was also active with her high school class reunion committee and the retired operating room personnel.

Surviving are her husband of 37 years, James D. Hopson; two children and their spouses, James and Vickie Kummer Hopson and Susan and Marlin Smith, all of Butler; six grandchildren, Mrs. Herb (Jaime) Wood, Kristina and Kimberly Hopson and Garrett, Devin and Nicole Smith; and two great-grandchildren, Tori Wood and Cayton Hopson. Also surviving is a very close cousin and wife, David and Harriett Schaffer and their family.

She was preceded in death by her uncle and aunt, Gene and Mame Schaffer; and a cousin, Gene Schaffer.

A special thank you to family, friends and caregivers, especially the Butler VNA Hospice personnel for their outstanding care.

<B>Hopson</B> — Friends of Joan Elizabeth Hopson, who died, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the <B>Geibel Funeral Home</B>, 201 E. Cunningham St. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, 127 Franklin St., with the Rev. Pierre Falkenhan officiating. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Burial Estates, Mount Chestnut.The Women's Council of St. Peter will recite the rosary at 9:10 a.m. Saturday at the church.Memorial donations may be made to the Hospice Program of the Butler County VNA, 154 Hindman Road, Butler, PA 16001.Information also is available at www.geibelfuneralhome.com.