Joanna Wilson
Emmitt and Maxine Schieck welcomed their daughter Penny Lynn into the world in Casper, Wyoming on March 12, 1947. She had a younger sister and two older brothers, making her the third of four children. She was a 1965 Natrona County High School alumna who hails from Casper.
At Casper Junior College, she met John Hopkins, and the two were married in 1970. Their love union brought a son, Paul, and started a magnificent journey that lasted 54 years.
Penny accepted a life full of different stages, aspects, and adventures. John and Paul reaped the rewards of her undying devotion and affection throughout her lifetime because she loved being a wife and mother. She had the honor of teaching elementary school, where she had a deep affection for her pupils. She started off teaching fifth grade, as well as remedial reading and arithmetic. She began working with exceptional children after completing graduate coursework in gifted and talented education.
Despite identifying as a “non-athlete,” she took great pride in her three successful completions of “Ride the Rockies” and her love of skiing and cycling. In addition to swimming, hiking, and jogging (at a painfully slow speed), she did some other activities. Despite her prolific existence, her inventiveness remained constant. For a long time, it was through needlework, then pottery, then painting and drawing, and lastly, home décor, with seasonal and holiday-themed touches and table settings that were more famous than the cuisine she served. She had a life filled with wonder and amazement as an adventurer since she got to visit so many states and countries, see so many incredible landmarks, and experience so many different cultures.
She had little trouble making and keeping friends, and her ties with people of all ages, from close by and far away, were always meaningful and enduring. Penny beat breast cancer, but she ultimately lost to a brain tumor. Her exceptional capacity to savor each moment to the fullest was a gift that brought her much delight in her last days.
Doctors Swink and King, along with the nurses, aides, and personnel at St. Mary’s and HopeWest, were invaluable in Penny’s fight against her brain tumor. Her family is eternally grateful to them. Grace, joy, laughter, and an endless supply of contagious enthusiasm characterized her approach to life.
Her son Paul, her sister Lonna Lee Kranz, her husband John, and a large number of in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends of all ages will all miss her. Penny, we are so grateful that you have let us into your beautiful life.
The Eureka McConnell Science Museum will host a memorial service for Penny on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 2 p.m. Donations to the Eureka McConnell Science Museum or HopeWest Hospice, in place of flowers, would be greatly appreciated.
