Sunday, July 15, 2018
Update on HOPKINS family
HOPKINS UPDATES!
In 2007 we lost my Aunt, Geraldine HOPKINS DIMICK MORNICK. She was the youngest of sister. From the research I have done I think she is also the one most like her father, Gerald HOPKINS. Our family went thru a very trying year in 2011 and 2012. I lost my husband, Jimmie ROGERS, to cancer in November 2011. This was a very hard thing to deal with. Then in March of 2012, we lost Jeanne HOPKINS PERRY. She was the older of the 3 sisters and I spent many hours talking family history with her. She was the one who told me what little I knew about my grandfather, Gerald George HOPKINS. Then in October 2012 I lost my mother, Doris Mae HOPKINS GRIGGS GARDNER. I was very close to my mother and this was another terrible loss. Then in December of the same year my dad (step-dad) Ralph William GARDNER went to join mom. Since then we have also lost dad's sister Adele GARDNER
So now I am back to my genealogy to try to find family members who have hidden from me for many years. In September of 2016 I decided to do my DNA. I was hoping to find out something new. It came back as I expected with my of my history being from England. This was not a surprise as I have found 3 of my lines to England.
Then in September of 2017 I received a message from a man whose name was Ronald CAMERON. He was showing that we were closely related. When I looked at his tree I could not find how. Then in May I got a message from Jennifer BAY, Ron's daughter, and she also was suppose to be related closely. She had checked my tree on Ancestry.com and thought she knew how we were related. After some researching on both sides we have come to believe that we are related thru my grandfather Gerald HOPKINS. I have been so excited to have found other people who are also HOPKINS related.
Then a a few weeks later all three of us were sent a message that we had another DNA match. It was a match with my grandfather's brother, Paul HOPKINS' family. As we search and explore these new cousins and more DNA testing I hope to finally know about the HOPKINS family and get together to meet all these new people. It will be an exciting journey and I will try to keep my blog updated on the results.
26 January 2020
Update on what has happened on since I last posted. Ron CAMERON and William HOPKINS, son of my grandfather's brother, Paul, had their male DNA done. They share the same grandfather. So Ron Cameron is my mother's half brother and Jennifer Bay is my first cousin.
While researching to make the connection, we have found:
Gerald G HOPKINS left Newark, New Jersey in the spring of 1932. I am thinking my grandmother probably told him she was expecting another baby. He moved west to Denver, Colorado. I found that he married Jo Dee WILLIAMS 29 Dec 1932, in Yuma County, Arizona. On the marriage record it says he is a resident of Denver, Colorado and a native of Ohio, he was a photographer. His name is Jerald George HOPKINS. Jo Dee WILLIAMS was Jo Dee LONG when she married Gerald. She was also from Denver. They were married 29 December 1932. I don't believe that he was divorced from his wife, Della. They family story is that Della had him declared dead in about 1942. I never found that record when I was in New Jersey a few years ago.
Jerald and Jo Dee had a daughter Gladys Jo Hopkins 21 April 1935, in Sacramento, California. She died 30 April 1995. On her marriage record to Carl E Hood, she list her father as Gerald George Hopkins. The were married in Santa Monica, California, 27 December 1956.
According to Voter's Registration from 1932-1938 Jerald G and Jo Dee HOPKINS lived in Oroville, California.
In 1937 City Directory in 1937 they lived at 600 Robinson, Chico, California.
In 1938 Jerold HOPKINS is living at 10436 Telfair Ave, Los Angeles County, California.
In 1940 Jerald M and Mrs. Jo Dee HOPKINS lived at 2203 Grand Canal, Los Angeles County, California
(Note the change of the middle initial)
In 1942 Jerald and Mrs. Jo Dee HOPKINS are living at 1212 Trolley Way, Los Angeles County, California.
In 1944 Mrs. Jo Dee HOPKINS is living at 349 1/2 Indiana Ave, Los Angeles County California. Jerald is not listed.
This is where I lose Jerald M. HOPKINS. When he married his third wife Opal Douglas he was using the name of Jerald Madison CAMERON. They were married in Washo County, Nevada on 26 May 1945. Jennifer said that they were also married in 1942 in Reno. I have not found that marriage record. I know that Madison is Gerald's brother's middle name.
Ron was born in 1943 and his brother in 1945.
In Jan 1947 Jerald M CAMERON, of Colorado, was sent to San Quentin prison for grand theft. He was transferred to Chino on 21 Mar. 1947.
He also used the name Rodney CAMERON.
I have him in 1953 living in Salt Lake City, Utah living with Allyne O. CAMERON. From what Jennifer has told me Jerald and Opal divorced in 1953.
In April 2019 I went to Salt Lake City to do research and to meet my uncle, Ron CAMERON. It was a great experience. He reminds me of my brother, John. We are both trying to find information on Jerald. He doesn't have alot of memories of his father. He also doesn't know where he went after the divorce of his parents or know when Jerald died. So the hunt continues.
Labels: HOPKINS family
