Ferol Jean Hoppes, 93, of Burwell, Nebraska died March 29, 2021 at the Community Memorial Health Center in Burwell.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 1, 2021 at the First Christian Church in Burwell. Burial will be in Cottonwood Cemetery in Burwell. Pastor JB Sikes will officiate. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 – 7 p.m. at Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell. Memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church.
Ferol was born the tenth child to Lester and Ismay (Elliott) Thompson on a farm north of Burwell on October 23, 1927. She was called Ferol Jean by her family and friends while growing up in rural surroundings and she attended rural school and was promoted to second grade in her first year of school, because she had read the first-grade readers. As a child, Ferol only left Nebraska once when she moved with her parents to Gooding, Idaho for one year, where the family was baptized in the Christian Church.
She always knew she wanted to be a teacher. Ferol attended Burwell High School and graduated in 1944 as salutatorian of her class, and the possessor of a teaching certificate allowing her to teach for three years in a rural school. She taught at the Walter Nelson School.
Ferol married Don Hoppes on July 8, 1945. While teaching she did correspondence courses and then began teaching fifth grade in Burwell. Her son, Devin was born in 1949. She attended summer school at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English. She taught English in various schools and went on to earn her Master’s Degree from Kearney State College. Her teaching career spanned 30+ years.
Ferol traveled to eight countries and the entire New England coast and Hawaii with Don.
She worked on the ranch near Comstock with Don doing all things ranch wives do. After selling their ranch and moving back to Burwell, Ferol continued her church work, leading songs and teaching Kids Praise. She also collected dolls, made quilts and crocheted.
Ferol is survived by nieces, nephews, many wonderful friends, former students and a special friend, Cindy Markvicka.
Ferol was preceded in death by her husband, Don. Her son, Devin. Brothers, Lowell “Hap” Thompson, Leland Thompson, Leonard Thompson, Loyal Thompson and sisters, Edna Mae Hoppes, Flossie Abernethy, Agnes Erington, Virginia Dobbins and Bertha Olive as an infant.
