(KLZA)-- Longtime Richardson County Extension Educator Gerald Hopp is being remembered.
Gerald Hopp died Sunday, Sept. 27 at the age of 77 in Lincoln.
Hopp began his Extension career in 1973 training in Nemaha County before serving two years at West Point in Cuming County as an assistant county agent.
In February of 1976 Hopp was hired as the lead agent in Richardson County where he served in the position for 28 years before he retired in 2004.
Gerald Hopp helped build the 4-H program in Richardson County which culminated each year with the 4-H Junior Fair in Humboldt.
He served on the planning committee for the Powell Livestock Pavilion at the county fair grounds in Humboldt and sparked the idea of the local 4-H Booster Group.
During his time at the Extension Educator Hopp kept the public informed of 4-H and Extension news through a weekly newspaper column titled “Hoppin the County” and a monthly radio program on KTNC.
Hopp served in various district and state leadership roles for the Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association including as President of the 4-H Section and as the national convention banquet chair when the event was held in Omaha. He received the State 4-H Distinguished Service Award in 1984.
After his retirement Gerald worked five years at KTNC Radio writing and reporting news and doing play-by-play sports broadcasts. Along the way he was awarded two bronze awards from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association for human interest stories.
He later became a para-professional working with special education in the Falls City Public Schools.
Over the years he was a member of the Falls City Area Jaycees serving as President; and was a member of the Falls City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He was a member of the Clefsmen men's choir and served on various church committees.
Gerald also serve with the Nebraska Army National Guard.
He was a founding member of the Itha T. Krumme Memorial Arboretum, spending thousands of hours as curator. He was awarded the Johnny Appleseed Award in 2005 by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.
Following his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in 2014, Gerald and his wife Kathy participated in multiple Parkinson's Foundation events and were honored as the top fundraiser in their final Parkinson's Foundation Moving Day event.
A celebration of life service for Gerald Hopp will be Monday afternoon, October 5, at 2 at the Edenton Christian Church in Lincoln.
Gerald Hopp is survived by his wife Kathy; sons Andrew and Brian Hopp, six grandchildren, and many more family and friends.
