Dorothy Mae Hopkins

On September 16, 2022, Dorothy Mae (Williams Cripps) Hopkins passed away peacefully at the age of 85, joining Jesus and many other friends and loved ones in her heavenly home. She was born in Iowa City on May 21, 1937 to Ralph and Maude (Peters) Williams of Albion, Iowa. In 1954, Dorothy married Theodore “Ted” Cripps, her husband of 26 years. Together at their home in Albion, they raised six children, Allen (Paula) Cripps, Debby (David) Johnson, Lorie (Brian) Hendrickson, Patricia (Rob) Boswell, Wendell (Jami) Dolezal and Becky (Ben) Zemlicka, and welcomed dozens of foster children into their home.

For many years, Dorothy ran an in-home daycare in Albion, and in 1988 moved to Marshalltown to work at the Iowa Veterans Home. In 1992, she moved to Norfolk, NE to serve as a dorm mother at Nebraska Christian College, and that is where she met her second husband, Gaylord Hopkins. They were married in 1998 and moved to Primghar, Iowa, then to Spirit Lake. In 2008 they moved to Grimes, Iowa to be closer to Dorothy’s family, and Gaylord passed away in 2011. Dorothy spent her remaining years in the Des Moines area.

Dorothy loved raising children and serving others, made amazing baked goods, possessed an incredible sense of humor and fondness for playing pranks, laughed contagiously, wrote incredibly thoughtful notes and cards, was very generous, and expressed appreciation for every gift or kind gesture. There was never a doubt that the two most important things in Dorothy’s life were her family and her relationship with Jesus Christ.

While Dorothy will be greatly missed by all who love her, we rejoice that she was reunited in death with her husbands Ted and Gaylord, father, mother, brother Robert Williams and sister Doris Banghart. She is survived by her sister Beverly Williams and brother Donald Williams, as well as her 6 children and their spouses, 14 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.

Dorothy always thought flowers were overrated, so by her request, in lieu of flowers please send memorial contributions to Ruth Harbor Ministries (https://www.ruthharborcares.org/give) or Hope Ministries (https://www.hopeiowa.org/donatenow). A private service will be held on Sunday, September 25 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home in Urbandale.