GEORGE ARTHUR HOOPES
George Arthur Hoopes was born on March 1, 1866 at Bennington, Bear Lake County, Idaho. His father was Jonathan Hoopes and his mother was Mary Ann Baldwin. Jonathan served as a body guard to LDS Church apostles and while accompanying a group of general authorities to southern Arizona and northern Mexico he decided to settle in the San Pedro Valley, where St. David was later founded. The family moved from Idaho to southern Arizona when George was about twenty, and still single.
George worked as a farmer, freighter, and trader. He married Charlotte Iris Curtis on December 23, 1890 in St. David and they were sealed in 1891 in the Logan Temple. They had one son, Grover, who was two years old in 1894 when George was called by the Church to help settle the Gila Valley. They came to what is now Thatcher by covered wagon.
George helped clear the mesquite trees from the Thatcher townsite and they lived there the rest of their lives, having another seven children. George purchased a small farm and rented other land. As a young father, George was called on a full-time mission to the Indian Territory in Oklahoma, leaving his family behind as many other fathers during this time had done. George served thirteen months on his mission but had to come home early because of illness. George then served some twenty years as a counselor to Bishop Frank Tyler in the Thatcher Ward. In this capacity he officially baptized Spencer W. Kimball, whose father, the stake president, had previously baptized Spencer in a hog scalding tub, but it was decided that young Spence needed to be rebaptized in a larger body of water where the person doing the baptism could also stand in the water. This baptism took place in the Union Canal, which went through the town of Thatcher. George also served the town of Thatcher as the Constable from 1909 to 1912.
George liked to raise horses and was always proud to say he had some of the best horse teams in the country. He was also known throughout the Gila valley as a good horse trader.
George and Iris loved to visit their Curtis relatives in St. David and for years the journey took three days by wagon. As times progressed, George bought a Model T Ford and the travel time was cut to eighteen hours. Later, as roads were constructed and better automobiles were made, they could make the trip in three hours.
George died in Thatcher at the age of 59 on February 4, 1927 and is buried in the Thatcher Cemetery.