Ilene Fay Hopkins passed away at home surrounded by her family on November 19th 2021 after a battle with cancer. She was a proud mother and valued her family as her greatest possessions. She especially treasured her grandchildren and held them all closely to her heart. Ilene was a simple woman and though she didn't have much she always opened her home to family and friends. She always believed in helping others, even if it meant she went without. Ilene was a imaginative story teller and loved to spend time reminiscing. Her table was always open for a game of euchre or dice and a cup of coffee. Ilene loved to hunt and sell morel mushroom's and she enjoyed taking friends and family out with her. She would just smile ear to ear when she would get home to show off her find for the day. Ilene always paid her bills, which was something she was proud of, but she had a generous heart so the last few dollars she had left every month she donated to St. Jude's children's hospital. She loved to do word puzzles, paint pictures and draw. Ilene was a feisty little woman who always spoke her mind and told you what she thought. She loved her husband Jim, but she also loved to give him a piece of her mind, which always made the family laugh. She was opinionated and you never had to guess what she was thinking. She could be stubborn and difficult, but she always let you know she loved you. She never ended a phone call without making sure she told everyone she loved them . It was her tenacity and spunk along with her faith in God that got her through tough times.
Ilene grew up on the Jerome family farm in Alma Michigan with her 9 brothers and 2  sisters. She spoke fondly of her siblings and loved to share stories and laugh about some of the fun they had.