_ My Grandma Hopper and Her Brother (My Great Uncle Van)

Above is a photograph of my grandmother Hopper when she was a little girl. She was born on October 30, 1918 in Milford, Clermont County, Ohio and died October 1, 1977. Growing up, she was a tomboy who rode her own horse, played golf, and starred on the girl's high school basketball team. After high school she attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where she studied to become a teacher. During World War II, she worked as a clerk for the Army in downtown Cincinnati. After the war, she married my father, Louis James Hopper. She then became a mother -- raising my my father, my Uncle Mike, and my Aunt Cindy. When they were in high school, she then took a job as a proof reader for a local printing company that primary published textbooks.

This is a pictue of my grandmother (in the center) in grade school.

This is a picture of my grandmother out at the family farm in Milford, Ohio -- possibily when she was in college.

This is a picture of my Uncle Mike, my grandmother, my Aunt Cindy, and my father in front of the family home.

Above is a photo of my great Uncle Van Lloyd wearing the flying helmet, scarf and leather jacket that he wore when he flew bi-planes as part of Lend-Lease to train British pilots during World War II. A large copy of this photo used to hang in the original Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It was used as a poster during World War II to encourage people to buy war bonds, with probably many people mistaking Uncle Van for Charles Lindburgh since they looked similar in their flying outfits (thought I think Uncle Van was much more handsome)> For his efforts, he was made a Knight of the British Empire by King George at a ceremony held in New York City after the war. Both before and after this, he was an airline pilot with Essair Airlines, then Braniff Airlines.

Above is a photograph of my grandmother with her brother (i.e. my Great Uncle Van).

My grandmother's brother -- my Great Uncle Van - married my grandmother's college roomate - my Aunt Jeanette, who after college taught school for many years in Hawaii. My Great Uncle Van, on the other hand, became a pilot and an early aviation pioneer. He became interested in flying when he was visiting the Hunsicker family farm in Relief, Ohio with his mother -- and saw a Curtis Jenny biplane crash.

After graduating from high school, my Great Uncle Van joined a flying circus where he received flying lessons in return for parachuting during the shows.