Virginia Dorothy Hopkins was born on Tuesday, January 29, 1924, the daughter of Jack F. and Elizabeth Dorothy (Cowl) Murray in Detroit, Michigan. She passed on Saturday, November 1, 2014, at her home in Greenfield, Iowa. She was 90 years young.

Virginia was raised in Los Angeles, California. On September 1, 1940, she was united in marriage to Wayne B. Hopkins and the couple resided in Los Angeles as newly weds. To this union four children were born; Sue, Dodie, Cheryl, and Phil. They raised their family in Sidney, Iowa--Wayne's home state. Virginia loved being a farmer's wife, a mother, and raising her children in Iowa. After Wayne retired from farming, they moved to Arizona, Nebraska, Colorado and back to Arizona for several years. They returned to Iowa in 1986 to her present home.

Virginia's greatest joy was spending time with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. She was nicknamed "Sparky" by her neighbors and she loved it. The name suited her due to her high spiritedness and zest for life. Soon the name lovingly followed her everywhere she went. She was a compassionate caregiver for many family members. Virginia loved her family, friends, baking and decorating cakes for special occasions, good times, trips, watching her grandsons Brett and Pat race cars in Boone, and staying active. She shared her birthday with her grandson Pat which will continue to be a very special day. Her best friend was her daughter Cheryl whom she spent time shopping, gambling, and laughing.

She was greeted in death by her parents; husband, Wayne in 1993; two daughters, Doris M. Roettger (Dodie) and Virginia D. Walter (Sue); granddaughter, Stephanie Anderson; great granddaughter, Brianna Ruse; and younger sister Joanne of California.

Those left to cherish her memory and continue her loving legacy include her two children, Cheryl Mather and husband Bill of Greenfield and Phil Hopkins and wife Judy of Bristol, VT; 13 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren; 3 great great grandchildren; 3 brothers, Clifford Murray, Jack Murray and Gilbert Murray; 2 sisters, Barbara Baroldy and Georgia Murray all of California; many nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends.