Olive Winifred Shoup Hooper,

Olive Winifred Shoup Hooper, age 85, of Manhattan, died May 2, 2021, at Ascension Via Christi Village. She was born October 25, 1935 on the family farm in rural Udall, Cowley County, Kansas, the daughter of Oliver Wendell and Beatrice (Daniels) Shoup.
She grew up on the family farm helping with the garden, driving farm trucks, taking care of chickens, and their horse, Pansie. Olive grew up in a family that was faithful to Christ. Bible study was an important part of her life. Each morning Olive and J. Lester had devotions together. Besides their Bibles they also used the Upper Room devotional magazine and closed with prayer.

Olive attended both Union and Blue one-room schools in Cowley County. Sometimes being the only girl in the school, she learned to pole vault and keep up with the boys. She walked to school except in the rare cases where the weather was so bad her father took all the children to school using the tractor.

She attended Winfield High School participating in mixed chorus, Philo Club, Allied Club, and Journalism class. She graduated in 1952, a year ahead of her class. She took piano lessons at Southwestern College.

Following high school, she attended Kansas State Agriculture College from 1952 to 1954 during which time she lived in Northwest Dorm and Clovia House. After marriage and the arrival of her first child, she took a break from college but continued fitting college courses in whenever she was able. In 1970 she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. During her college years, she was a member of Wesley Foundation, Kappa Phi, Clovia, Collegiate 4H Service Club, and Home Economics Teaching Club. She was a member of the KSU Alumni Association.

Upon confirmation, Olive became a member of the Udall Methodist Episcopal Church. Throughout her life, she was a member of the M.E. Church in Manhattan, followed by the Keats, Riley, and Clay Center United Methodist churches. In 1973 she joined the First United Methodist Church of Manhattan.

During her years of being a church member, she was part of the WSCS, United Methodist Women, Koinonia Circle, Nursery Committee, UMC Supper Club, Groceries for God, Recycle Committee, Kitchen Renovation Committee, Disciple Bible Study, and Sew Sisters. As part of showing Christ’s love to the world, she crocheted and donated numerous baby blankets to Ogden Friendship House, Life Choice Ministries, and the FUMC Baby Blanket Ministry. She enjoyed serving side by side with J. Lester in his church activities, including ushering, Dial-a-Prayer, and helping with UMM soup suppers.

Olive babysat, sold Avon, and was a Tupperware Hostess. From 1969-1985 she was the director of the Manhattan Day Care Center. From 1985-1995 she served as director of the Ft. Riley Child Development Center and director of Supplemental Programs and Services. From 1982-1984 she served on the Vocational Education State of Kansas Advisory Committee for Occupational Home Economics.

While at KSU she met J. Lester Hooper at Wesley Foundation when he offered to teach her to play ping pong. They were married on May 1, 1954, at 7:00 a.m.

Olive was a wonderful and devoted mother to their 5 children: Joy (Mike) Barnett of Scott City; Sherri Hooper of Manhattan; Wendy (Gary) Skrdlant of Manhattan; J. Lester Hooper, Jr. (Marcia Bahret [Bart]) of Valley Falls, and Terry Hooper of Manhattan. She loved supporting her children’s activities including PTA, School Room Mother, Cub Scouts, Junior, and Cadette Girl Scouts. While working with the Cadette Girl Scouts she accompanied the girls as a sponsor to the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wagons Ho in Quinter, Kansas.

Other organizations Olive was a member of and volunteered with, included HiWives, Lions Club, UCT, Coffee with the Girls, NAEYC, KAEYC, Riley County Pre-school Association, AARP, MAREA, Riley County Senior Center and RSVP.

Olive enjoyed crocheting, tatting, serving others, and gardening. The family often found her whistling and humming while she worked. She kept busy canning and preserving their garden produce, cooking, refinishing antique furniture, reading, and coloring. One of her favorite activities after retirement was to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers Leland and Ronald, her son, J. Lester Hooper, Jr., and husband J. Lester Hooper, Sr. She is survived by her sister Norma (Dean) Lowell, Redwood City, CA, her two brothers-in-law George (Corneilia) Hooper of Washington D.C., and Keith (Karen) Hooper of Northville, MI, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16

Private family services will be held at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Chapel with Reverend Melanie Nord and Chaplain Doug Hamilton officiating. Interment will follow in the Sunrise Cemetery in Manhattan. The funeral service may be viewed through the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home Facebook page at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, May 15th.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, May 14th, at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to either Life Choice Ministries or the First United Methodist Church for Community Meals. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.