Ann Cristine Dopp

Ann Cristine Dopp passed away peacefully on May 4, 2012 at the amazing and remarkable age of 109 years old. She was a beloved daughter, wife, mother and aunt. She was lively and animated, smart and kind, caring and generous from the beginning to the very end of her long life.

She was born in Upham, North Dakota on September 1, 1902, the first of ten children of Bjorn Asmundson and Lukka Thoranna Benson. She was born of good Icelandic stock (her father and her mother’s parents having been born there), and grew up listening to Icelandic and English, and learning to love Icelandic treats (rulla pylsa, kleinurs, brown bread, vineterta), learning how to say the Lord’s Prayer in her parent’s native tongue, belonging to a tight knit and loving Icelandic community, most of whom were distant cousins, aunts, uncles and other close and/or distant relatives. Her father was highly respected, ran a harness shop and was a master of all trades, and even was, for a time, the Mayor of Upham.

She attended school in various locations in McHenry County, North Dakota. As a young adult woman, while her mother and father and younger siblings moved from North Dakota to Washington State (Blaine, Bellingham, and Seattle) to cope with the ravages of the Great Depression, she travelled to San Francisco with her sister, Mary, to sell educational materials to California school districts. Eventually they returned to Seattle to be near their family, and the two of them worked in downtown Seattle in retail, selling hats and gloves in a number of the fancy department stores of the 1930’s. In 1940 she met Vernon Carl Dopp and fell in love. They were married in a double wedding ceremony with her sister Mary and her beau, Milton Steele, on September 5, 1940.

Ann and Vern had a wonderful marriage, and Vern adored her. They were blessed with a son, John Fredrick (Rick) Dopp, who was born on December 26, 1948. Their wonderful marriage lasted for 56 years, until Vern’s death in 1996.

Ann was an extraordinarily modern woman and loved beautiful things. She was an incredible homemaker, always up on the latest recipes, foods, and conveniences. Her home was always spotless, modern, and well furnished even on a tight budget. She loved nice clothes, and with spending very little, always looked fabulous and stylish, in beautiful clothes accented with gorgeous jewelry and other accessories, with her nails and hair perfect, literally, until the day she died.

She had many passions, bridge and other card games, for one. She had an innate and quite amazing card sense, and only ceased to play bridge in the last few months of her life, when holding 13 cards became too difficult, then she transitioned to gin rummy. She was an avid bowler, and continued to bowl weekly in her bowling league until she was 99! Yes! 99! She was engaged in charitable organizations and worked on behalf of disabled kids and her church, Faith Lutheran Church. Being part of a church community was very important to her. And anyone who knew her knows what an avid, lifelong sports fan she was, and how much she loved and followed her Seattle teams.

She stayed in extremely close contact with all her siblings, having daily contact with her sisters and frequent interactions with her brothers. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bjorn and Lukka, and her nine siblings, Leonard, Thordur, Mary (Steele), Einer Swain, Lily (Gannon), Stanley, Bertha (Polley), Matt and Vi (Goldsmith), and her husband, Vern. To lose parents, all siblings, and husband was, as one can only imagine, extremely difficult. Still, Ann had an indomitable spirit. She was always positive, upbeat and filled with a joyous optimism. She never had a negative word to say about anyone. She was totally focused on other people, their children their families and their dreams. She never forgot a child’s name or birthday, and had remarkable recall for the tiniest details of the lives of the people for whom she cared. Her care and concern and generous spirit were truly remarkable. She was a particularly special aunt to her many nieces and nephews.

Her loving son, Rick, cared for her in her last years, allowing her to remain at home until only five weeks before she died. She was also blessed to be cared for by her wonderful caregiver, Addis Tsegaye, for seven years. The love and care from Rick and Addis were instrumental in keeping the quality of her life at the highest level. Deepest thanks to them both.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 20, 2012, at Faith Lutheran Church, 8208 18th Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98115-4430. Please come and share your stories about this remarkable woman. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Faith Lutheran Church or to a college fund for Addis’ two sons. Donations to the college fund can be mailed to niece Susie Roberts at 3839 E Lake Sammamish Shore Lane SE, Sammamish, WA 98027.