Johann Henry Louis Hopp( Americanized to John) came to the United States with the rest of his family when he was 9 years old. Agnes Litterick and John Hopp met and married Aug 28, 1896 most probably in Kingsley Iowa, and from this union 6 children were born. After their marriage John and Agnes rented a farm in Kingsley Iowa, and with a little assistance from his Father Franz, John and Agnes began the process of living and having a family. The first to be born was Agnetta (Nett) born April 1, 1897, and Dorothy Hopp born 1898. Hazel was the last of the Hopp children to be born in Iowa in 1900. John's half brother Frank Otto Hermann Hopp remarked that John was a "Wanderlust." He was never satisfied for long. He would acquire property, work it for a while, make improvements and trade for something else. Often in other states and not always to his advantage. In 1901 or 02 John was hit by the first episode of " Wanderlust ". He decided that he wanted to homestead in South Dakota. This was against the wishes of his Father Franz, who wanted him to buy 90 acres to the west of Franz's own place. That way Franz reasoned he could help him (John) out with farm supplies and horse's and the family would all be nearby. this was not to be for John was a headstrong young man, and took his family by covered wagon to Sissition South Dakota , where he homesteaded land near the Sissition Indian reservation. The family lived for a while in a Sod house, and John planted fields of Flax. A small nearby lake called Hopp Lake provided the family with a supply of fish. (It is unknown if the Hopp's named this lake or if it was named after them). Daughter Hilda Hopp was born there in 1902. On February 5, 1904, during a raging blizzard in the middle of the night, Agnes went into hard labor with her fifth child. Agnetta Hopp recounted that night to her sister-in-law Edna , years later. The home was very isolated from other people, with no one to help in times of emergency. John had no choice but leave Nett who was 7 years old in charge of the other children and of her Mother who was in the process of giving birth. With the storm blowing outside he left by horse to fetch the doctor. This had been a terrifying experience for Nett, but her father arrived with the doctor in time for son Jack to be born. Their farm was so remote, that the only other people they saw were the Indians. Daughter Hazel told of seeing her first white person other than her family when she was quite a big girl, and how scared all the children were. Daughter Hazel told of how the Indians would come on their place and her Dad would have to give them something to keep them from stealing him blind. Another time she remembered John was away and a big drunk Indian walked right into the house and scared Agnes and the children half to death. Agnes being a feisty sort took a broom to him and chased him out. The children used to go to the Indian Pow Wows and dance with the Indians. Hazel used to demonstrate this to her own children years later. At one time Agnes wanted to adopt a young Indian boy who lived with his Grandfather in a shack, near the Hopp farm. The boy and the Grandfather were close to starving to death and may have had it not been for Agnes's kindness. Soon after John legally acquired the homestead in South Dakota by living on and working the property for six years, he sold it and bought another property in Brown's Valley Minn. the family stayed there 4 years. Soon John felt the need to move on, and in approximately 1910 moved the family to Nye, near Osceola Wisc., where he tried his hand at Dairy farming. They stayed in Wisc. long enough for son Jack to start to school. John soon found that Dairy farming was not to his liking. He hated milking cows, and felt that he was more suited for farming. He found through the land catalogs a Peach farm in Arkansas. He moved the family by covered wagon to Arkansas to a place called Gentry. After a year John traded this place for a farm in Kansas, near Lawrence, and Welda, which also included an apartment house in Kansas City. But there were water problems and the apartment house was too far away to manage. In approximately 1914 John and the family had enough of the bad conditions in Kansas. John returned his family to south Dakota, this time by train. John rented a Box car and all the family's processions and livestock were loaded into it. John brought a farm at Big Stone Lake South Dakota, and it was here that the Hopp children finished growing up. In the beginning the house at Big Stone was very small, but John was a very capable carpenter and soon had enlarged the house with two more bedrooms a kitchen a screened in porch and a root cellar. A large barn and silo was promptly built. John must have been a civic minded person because he was a Justice of the Peace for a time during his residency at Big Stone. In the early 1930's he made an unsuccessful bid for Sheriff of Robert's County South Dakota. In 1933 John Hopp along with many others lost his farm because of the great depression. On Sept 12, 1933 John loaded up what was left of his processions and family and headed west. John had often expressed a desire to move westward especially Washington state, so in a way the unfortunate circumstances full filled a long time dream of his. Once in Washington he found the rainy conditions they encountered there were not to his liking. John and son Jack went on a scouting trip south to Oregon. He bought a place near Bandon Oregon and tried his hand at farming for a while but again found that weather and soil conditions in Oregon different from what he was used to. Hr gave up on farming and began selling timber to the railroads and sawmills. In 1936 a disastrous fire burned Bandon and all surrounding areas to the ground. John and Agnes lost their home and all processions. Only escaping with their lives to the beach in the truck. John and Agnes managed to start over with a little help from the Red Cross and Army that was sent in to help. They both lived out their lives in Bandon Oregon.
Note; Although I only remember seeing him once when I was about ten years old, I remember John as a very quiet tall thin man.. Standing perhaps 6'2"
By Shirley June Luttrall Ross 1998



Obituary Notice - Western World - 27 June 1946

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, June 27, (today) for John H. Hopp, 74,
who died at the local hospital, Tuesday, June 25, after an illness of six weeks.
He came to Bandon with his family in about 1934 and engaged in farming.

Deceased was born in Wandle___, Germany, June 7, 1872, coming to America at the
age of 9. He was an active member in the ______ club.

Surviving are his wife, Agnes, 5 daughters; Agnes Yost, Bandon; Dorothy
Pittenger, San Diego; Hazel Luttrall, Bakersfield CA; Hilda Lowery, Coalinga CA,
Beatrice Drew, Whidly, _____; a son John Hopp of Warrenton Ore, and two brothers, Henry
Hopp, ____ Washington, and Frank Hopp, San Francisco.

The Rev. E. E. Rosenkilde will officiate at 2 o'clock services. Interment will
be in the IOOF Cemetery.