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Shared by the Hooper community

Hooper Community Memories

Photographs and stories of Fourth of July traditions, Main Street, parades, games, and the people who made those moments memorable.

Browse 56 Photos Add Your Memory
28 Community Contributors
56 Submitted Photographs
1950s–2020s Memories Across Decades

Stories Taking Shape

These threads emerged from the community discussion. They are preserved as contributor recollections while dates, names, and additional records are still being gathered.

Community photograph of the vehicle and crew associated with early Hooper fireworks displays
Early 1980s Community recollection

The crew behind Hooper's fireworks

Kim Ruwe Deprez remembers her father, Dave Ruwe, organizing the fireworks for more than 20 years. She says the crew initially launched them from center field at the old ballpark and identifies Jim Walker, Ron Heinrich, and Rich Hall among the people involved.

Memory and photograph shared by Kim Ruwe Deprez

Read the fireworks memory See the crowd photograph
A saved Hooper newspaper clipping shared by a community contributor
Year to be identified Community recollection

When the FEVR train was “robbed”

Sharon von Seggern remembers cowboys and a cowgirl staging a robbery when the FEVR train arrived in Hooper. Jan von Seggern was one of the participants. Wendy Mengedoht Brennan later found related newspaper clippings saved by her mother.

Memories shared by Sharon von Seggern and Wendy Mengedoht Brennan

Read the train memory See the clipping submission
Cover of the 1976 Centennial History of Hooper book
1976 Centennial Community recollection

A Ferris wheel on Main Street

Cherie Harder Anderson remembers a Ferris wheel standing on Main Street during Hooper's 1976 Centennial. Sally Oberg added three historic photographs to the community collection.

Memory shared by Cherie Harder Anderson; photographs shared by Sally Oberg

Read the Centennial memory View the photo thread
Souvenir shirt from the Hooper camel and ostrich races
Year to be identified Community recollection

Camel races, ostrich races, and the shirt

Lance Braun and Amy Troshynski remembered the camel and ostrich races. Kim Ruwe Deprez answered with a photograph of a surviving event shirt that her parents still have. Rachel Kriete also remembered the bathtub races.

Memories shared by Lance Braun, Amy Troshynski, Kim Ruwe Deprez, and Rachel Kriete

See the conversation and shirt
Historic group photograph of Hooper American Legion members
Year to be identified Community recollection

Putting names back on a Legion photograph

A community conversation identified Leonard Geisler, Richard “Rich” Magill, Lester “Johnny” Johnson, and Gail Davenport. The full date, event, and left-to-right caption are still being researched.

Photograph shared by Kim Ruwe Deprez; identifications discussed by Richard Magill, Faith Palmer Hemme, Fred Fachman, and Stacey Oerman

Read the identification thread
Eugene Tonjes's Diamond T pickup before the 1995 Hooper parade
1990s and beyond Community recollection

Parade people and family vehicles

Taylor Dahl shared her family getting ready for the July 4, 1995 parade in her grandfather Eugene Tonjes's Diamond T pickup. Other submissions show Vic driving the Hooper City Council and the Logan View band between 1994 and 1998.

Photograph and memory shared by Taylor Dahl

See the 1995 parade memory See the City Council parade thread
Participants in the 2011 Hooper Fun Run and Walk
1998–2018 Community recollection

Fun Runs, Penny Dives, and games in the park

Residents shared photographs of Fun Runs, the Penny Dive, a 1998 three-on-three event, and 2015 HFCP games in the park. Together they begin a visual timeline of the activities families returned to year after year.

Photographs shared by Sally Oberg, Patti McDiffett Hoegermeyer, Mark and Janet Bayliff, Sarah Baltzer, and others

See the 2011 Fun Run See the 2015 Penny Dive
Saved local history material shared by Wendy Mengedoht Brennan
About 1957 Community recollection

The TNT Popcorn Shop on Main Street

Ron Sager asked whether residents remembered the TNT Popcorn Shop on Main Street, near the later body-shop location, around 1957. The owners, address, neighboring businesses, and photographs remain open research questions.

Memory shared by Ron Sager

Read the Main Street memory

A Growing Celebration Timeline

Only years stated by contributors are shown. An approximate year remains approximate until another source confirms it.

c. 1957

TNT Popcorn Shop

Ron Sager remembers a popcorn shop on Main Street near the later body-shop location.

View source
1976

Hooper Centennial

A Ferris wheel stood on Main Street, according to Cherie Harder Anderson.

View source
Early 1980s

Ballpark fireworks crew

Dave Ruwe and a volunteer crew helped organize and launch Hooper fireworks.

View source
1994–1998

Logan View band

Kim Ruwe Deprez shared a parade photograph dated to this range.

View source
1995

Diamond T parade pickup

Taylor Dahl's family prepared for the parade in Eugene Tonjes's pickup.

View source
1998

Three-on-three

Sally Oberg shared a photograph from a three-on-three event.

View source
2011

Fun Run/Walk

Sally Oberg shared a photograph of participants.

View source
2015

Penny Dive, park games, and parade

Mark and Janet Bayliff contributed photographs from three parts of the celebration.

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2016

Fun Run memories

The Peters and Hoegermeyer families appear in a Fun Run photograph.

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2018

Little Fun Runners

Sarah Baltzer shared a photograph of two young participants.

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2024

A second-place finish

Faith Palmer Hemme shared a celebration photograph and result.

View source

Community Photo Wall

Every photograph submitted in the Facebook memory drive is included below. Select a photograph to see its original comment and community conversation.

Showing all 56 photographs

Help Complete the Captions

Recognize a person, place, vehicle, or year? Share what you know. Original-resolution photographs, corrections, and additional stories are welcome.

Share a Memory Join the Discussion

About this archive: These photographs and recollections were shared publicly in response to the Hooper 4th of July page's request for community memories. They are attributed to their contributors and linked to the original discussion. Recollections may contain incomplete or approximate details and should not be treated as independently verified history. Contact info@celebratehooper.com to correct a caption, request a credit change, or ask that a contribution be removed.