Beth Hopeman Dille

Beth Hopeman Dille passed away peacefully October 2nd at age 100. Beth was born September 3, 1924 to Albert and Edna (Beardsley) Hopeman of Moorhead. She grew up in Moorhead, graduating from Moorhead High in 1942 and Concordia College in 1946. During WWII she worked in the summer at the Spokane Army Depot driving a forklift. While teaching in Dassel, MN she met Roland Dille and they were married September 4, 1948. They lived in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Northfield, MN, and Thousand Oaks, CA. Beth worked for Minneapolis Public Schools and taught in Thousand Oaks as a sub, homebound teacher, and tutor. The family settled in Moorhead in 1963. Roland taught at Moorhead State and eventually became the university president. Beth enjoyed being part of the college community, especially attending the theater productions and cheering on the women’s basketball and volleyball teams.

As a child Beth enjoyed ice skating and later played the saxophone in band and orchestra and sang in choir. She sang in the Concordia College choir and in church choir wherever they lived. She was an excellent cook and sewed clothing and costumes for the children. Beth volunteered for her children’s activities including Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, and Cub Scouts. She was always interested in local news and history and was a voracious reader of the local Forum and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She served for many years on the board of the Comstock House of the Minnesota Historical Society. She also enjoyed travel including trips to China, Thailand, Russia, Latin America, and Europe. Beth was interested in gathering genealogy information about her mother’s English family tree that traced back to 1635 in North America, and was also proud of her father’s Dutch heritage. 

In 2010 Beth and Roland moved into Linden Tree at Eventide, Moorhead and loved their apartment. Roland passed away on Memorial Day, 2014. In 2022 Beth moved into the Eventide Care Center. 

On September 3, 2024 Beth celebrated her100th birthday. A celebration was attended by 50+ people including grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many old friends. Sharp as ever, Beth visited with each person there.

Beth’s family would like to express our appreciation for the staff at the Linden and at Eventide for the care they gave our parents. We would also like to especially mention Sharon Ferris, who has been an invaluable help and friend to Beth these past few years.

Beth was preceded in death by her husband Roland, siblings Bert Hopeman, Lillian (and Schuman) Buck, Jean Ward, and Dr. Alan (and Dorothy) Hopeman. She is survived by her children Deborah (Vincent Casalaina) of Berkeley CA, Martha of Moorhead, Sarah (Daniel Stauffer) of Moorhead, and Benjamin (Anna) of Falls Church, VA; ten grandchildren: Amy Jollymore, Annie Jollymore (Neil Holmgren), Stewart Jollymore (Allison Perlstein), Aidan Lynch (Victoria), Angela Pitzkow (Matthew), Deborah Schmidt, Nicholas Dille-Umber, Sasha Dibrov, Daniel Dille, and Elizabeth Dille; and five great grandchildren: Gabriel, Colin, Liam, Dillon, and Roland.

Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. followed by a celebration of life at 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 11, at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Moorhead. Interment will be in Prairie Home Cemetery in Moorhead.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to: 

The Roland and Beth Dille Fund for Excellence, MSUM Foundation, POB 657, Moorhead, MN 56561

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Moorhead.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Minnesota