The Bakersfield Californian

JOHNNIE ESTELLE HOPSON

April 18, 1930 - May 3, 2022

www.bakersfield.com/obits

Johnnie Estelle (Cearley) Hopson, the Matriarch of our family was the first of 4 children born to farm folk John Cearley and Ruby (Adams) Cearley on April 18, 1930 in Temple, Texas. She was reunited in Heaven on May 3, 2022 with numerous relatives who have gone before her, and with her husband of nearly 65 years who preceded her in death in February of 2014.

Johnnie was a go getter from the very start, always supporting her local community and participating in a number of extra-curricular clubs and activity groups during her high school years including Rope spinning club, Squad leader of her F.H.A group, she was secretary treasurer, active in the distributive education and booster clubs and she was on the Senior play committee.

She met the love of her life, Willie Joe Hopson at the age of 15. The two married June 30th 1949 and their life long adventures together began. Traveling along side her husband who worked for Otis Drilling, they uprooted their simple country lives many a time in their younger years, living in Louisiana and Venezuela, all with their three children (Joel, Angelia and Kimberly) in tow.

They were in a Harley Davidson motorcycle club, and were leaders of their airstream caravan which allowed them to see nearly every bit of the U.S. and then some. They sure knew how to live a full and vibrant life!

With her family settling down in Bakersfield California, Johnnie would continue her involvement with her community, joining a women's sorority group from the late 1960's- early 1970's where she would be crowned as the Beta Sigma Fi-Eta Omega chapter President “Queen” in 1966. She was a reputable seamstress for many years, working for Leos furs and also making a successful small business in custom tailoring and alterations from her home. Johnnie even dabbled in some local modeling gigs, her husband Joe always stating “That woman of mine could have been a movie star.”

A woman of many great talent and hobbies, her best and most joyous role in life was being a wife, mother, nana, great-grand and great-great-grand nana. The epitome of an “All American Homemaker.” During her life she touched so many hearts with her ever abundant love and wisdom. Everything that she did, she did with grace.

She is survived by her 3 children, 6 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild, as well as several other distant relatives that include but are not limited to nieces and nephews, cousins and family friends and acquaintances.

We are so blessed to have had her love for so many years, we hold close to our hearts all of the precious memories we made with a true earth angel who has now gained her heavenly wings. Our “golden girl.”

In tough times, she would always say “You have three choices in life, you can give in, give up or give it all you've got!” and Johnnie Estelle Hopson definitely always gave life all that she had.

With love, from all of us.

Graveside services to be held Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 1:30 pm at Hillcrest Cemetery.

STATE / OBITUARIES

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2022-05-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://bakersfield.pressreader.com/article/281638193808404

Alberta Newspaper Group