Kopper, Helene G. Claassen (1878-1968)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1968 May 2 p. 7

Birth date: 1878 Oct 21

text of obituary:

. . .

• Funeral services for Mrs. Helene G. Kopper, 89, lifelong resident of the Whitewater-Potwin area were held Saturday afternoon at the Emmaus Mennonite Church. Rev. L. R. Amstutz, the pastor officiated. Mrs. Kopper, widow of John Kopper, died April 23 at Hillsboro. Survivors include two foster daughters, Mrs. Albert S. Claassen and Mrs. Herschel Klassen, both of Whitewater.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1968 May 30 p. 11

text of obituary:

HELENE G. KOPPER

Helene Kopper, nee Claassen, was born Oct. 21, 1878 on a farm in Plum Grove Township, Butler County, Kan., where her parents, Abraham and Anna Claassen, were establishing a home after having arrived from Germany two years before. There she spent a happy youth. In 1895 she was baptized by Elder Leonhard Sudermann and joined the Emmaus Church.

In 1907 she was married to John J. Kopper, who passed away in 1962 after 55 years of marriage. After they were married they lived with her parents, who needed their care.

During their married life they opened their home to seven motherless girls. One of these died. For four their father established a home after a short time. Two stayed with them until they established their own homes, and repaid them in their old age with all possible assistance and care.

Aunt Helen had a wide range of interests, so that Philippians 4:8 might well have been her motto. Being of a strong, intense nature she also followed Ecclesiastes 9:10, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." Her love of beauty led her into gardening, and she threw herself into this with enthusiasm, for a time keeping up perhaps the most elaborate layout ever attempted in this neighborhood. She was forced to curtail this somewhat as time went on, since it fell to her lot to care for her father and mother through a long old age, as well as an aunt and an uncle.

She served her church as occasion arose, being a Sunday school teacher for many years. She had a keen appreciation of the best in both German and English literature and undertook the difficult task of translating some of the German hymns into English.

Her last months were spent in Parkside Nursing Home at Hillsboro, where she passed away April 23 at the age of 89 years. She is survived by two foster daughters, Florence, Mrs. Albert S. Claassen, and Mildred, Mrs. J. Herschel Klassen of Whitewater, Kan., their husbands and families.