Martha Jane Hoppus Lawrence

Martha Jane Hoppus Lawrence, 85, of Lone Tree, Colorado, passed away on August 17, 2024, after a lengthy battle with dementia.

 Martha was born on September 28, 1938, to Murl and Edna Hoppus in Frankfurt, Indiana. After graduating from Meridian High School, Meridian, Mississippi, in 1956, she went on to study early education at Mississippi College.

 In 1958, Martha enrolled at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and soon after met Jimmy Lawrence, a match truly made in heaven. After studying early education, Jimmy and Martha were married on July 14, 1961.

 They lived in multiple cities, as Jimmy served in ministry at many different churches over the years — from Memphis, Tennessee; to Tampa, Florida; Arcadia, Louisiana; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Jackson, Mississippi. Martha spent most of her career teaching kindergarten. She loved children, and for many decades, taught younger children in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and more.

 Martha and Jimmy had two children of their own, Vicki and Stefanie. Martha had an unwavering faith in God, loved the church, and enjoyed sharing the love of Jesus Christ with others, especially children. She was a musician with a beautiful singing voice, always sang in church choirs, often sang solos in church, and played the piano. She enjoyed worshiping God through music.

 Martha dedicated many scripture verses to memory, and was a passionate prayer warrior. She studied the Bible daily and fervently prayed for others.

 Martha never enjoyed the beach and wasn’t a fan of hot weather, yet ironically spent much of her adult life near the Gulf Coast, spending the most years in Biloxi. After retiring in 2002, she finally realized a life-long dream of living near the mountains, by moving to Denver, Colorado, to be near her daughters and son-in-law.

 Martha’s smile was her hallmark and was an outward indication of the joy in her heart. She loved her friends immensely and laughter was always a part of every day.

 She was preceded in death by her father, Murl Hoppus, and her mother, Edna Earl Hoppus.

 Martha is survived by her husband, James (Jimmy) Ernest Lawrence, of Lone Tree, Colorado; her daughters, Vicki Lynn Lawrence, Stefanie Kay Spencer; and her son-in-law, Ronald Allen Spencer; all of Parker, Colorado.