What Happened To George Frederick Hopf? My Brick Wall. My Grandfather.

I've been doing genealogy research for over 12of the Beth's four children some spouses and
years. It has been a great adventure meetingchildren. Cousins and second cousins. I visited
long lost relatives, finding relatives I never knewplaces where Lottie lived, where Beth lived and
existed and learning the stories of their lives. Itdied. It was wonderful.
was great fun. They told me their stories and IThen I found out that my biological grandfather
told them mine. I visited the places where theywas George Frederick Hopf. This was quite a
lived, walked the streets where they walked overshock because all of my life I believed that my
100 years ago. I haunted graveyards looking forlast name was Vardon. My name was Nancy
their burial plots and gravestones. I spent hours inVardon. I discovered that Hazel married George
county records offices looking up land records,Hopf on July 25, 1910 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I
wills and probate. I spent uncounted hourshave their marriage license. My father was born
searching the Internet for records of census,April 5, 1911, his name was George Kenneth Hopf.
birth, death and marriage and social securityThey moved to Edmonton Alberta, Canada.
records. Many times a name was spelled orGeorge was a Seventh day Adventist and his
copied wrong or the record taker's handwritingreligion and other issues caused conflicts in their
was difficult to read.marriage. Hazel separated from him and ran away
I spent a fortune in both time and money copyingwith another man named Anthony Leroy Vardon
or sending for original documents. I grewwho was still married to another woman. They
increasingly fascinated with the lives they ledwent to Detroit in 1915. Because both were
against the backdrop of the times. The storiesmarried to someone else they had to keep their
morphed into a book Lotties Lot. Lottie Janesituation secret. Living together in those days was
Walker was my great grandmother. She wasjudged harshly so she arbitrarily changed my
born in 1871 in Cresco, Iowa. She married Charlesfathers name to Kenneth Leroy Vardon.
Ira Hastings when she was 18 years old. TheyGeorge in his despair joined the Canadian Army
were married for 23 years and together raisedand fought in WW1. He spent three years in
seven children six daughter and one son. The titleFrance and was a medic. After his discharge in
of the book Lottie's Lot refers to her lot of kidsJanuary 1919, he found Hazel in Detroit and
and her lot in life. Her second daughter, Iris Hazel,wanted his son. They argued more. She finally
everyone called her Hazel, was my grandmother.filed for a divorce and it was granted in her favor
I started the book in the middle, first writing theSeptember 1920. He was living in Detroit in the
story of one of my grandmother's sisters1920 Census. In about 1926 he moved to
Bethany who died at age 26 from a self-inflictedWashington D.C. He is listed in the city directories
abortion. She left four children behind. Before Ifrom 1926 to 1930, and he is in the 1930 census.
stated my research I never knew Beth existed,Then he disappears. He would have been 50
let alone her children. My family was expert atyears old. He was born on January 20, 1880 in
keeping secrets. It made my investigations harderPittsburg, Pennsylvania, the second son of George
but more fun. Beth and her family lived in Alberta,M F Hopf and Caroline. I desperately want to find
Canada. After I found out about them I called andout what happened to him, when and where he
talked to one of her son's Lynn who was justdied, where he is buried. If you read this and can
three years old when his mother died. That led tohelp me please send an email.
a trip and I was privileged to visit and meet three