Doris "Dorie" Gail Hopkins-Studnicka

In loving memory of Doris “Dorie” Gail Hopkins-Studnicka, 77, of Muscoda who passed away on September 17th, 2023 at Rochester Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Mary’s Campus in Minnesota. She was surrounded by love, with her daughter and niece at her side. Dorie was born to Hallie and Sarah Hopkins on December 29th, 1945 in Hillsboro, WI. She grew up along the Kickapoo River Valley graduating from La Farge high school in 1964. Upon graduation, she became a laboratory aide at St. Joseph’s Memorial Hospital in Hillsboro, WI. In 1966, she attended Duluth Area Institute of Technology in Duluth, MN graduating a year later as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist and began work at St. Joseph’s. In 1978, she moved to Red Cloud Nebraska working for a community hospital. She moved to the Muscoda around 1982 and began working for Richland Hospital System. In 1996, she began work at Southwest Technical College as the Health Occupations Division Laboratory Assistant staying there until her retirement in 2014. Dorie had many interests with the outdoors always at her core. She enjoyed birds, wildlife, flowers, woods, and country air. She loved to drive her Polaris Ranger through the wooded trails and sit by the river. She found solace and tranquility when surrounded by nature. Dorie found enjoyment in refinishing furniture, gardening, knitting, sewing, embroidering, collecting antiques, thrifting, and working on family genealogies; but mostly, she cherished talking and spending time with friends and family. Dorie was a strong, hardworking, independent woman who was sincere, compassionate, caring, spiritual, and loved to laugh and smile. She had a dry, humorous wit, playing jokes whenever she could. She was always willing to lend an ear, without judgement, to whomever needed it. Despite decades on health struggles, she always had a smile on her face, laughter surrounding her, and love in her heart. Her daughter and her spent the last 10-months living together, enjoying valuable time in each other’s company. She will be missed dearly by all who knew her, but most of all, by her daughter and best-friend, Sarah. She has taught us many things about life, but mainly to enjoy life, not take it too seriously, and find laughter even during hard times. She is now at peace, watching over all whom she loved and held dear. Dorie is survived by her daughter Sarah and sister-in-laws: Josephine (DeGroote) Studnicka of Parkersberg, Iowa and Norma (Schafer) Hopkins of Malta, Illinois. She is, also, survived by several nieces and nephews who she was very proud to have watched grow and build families: (of Iowa): Robert Studnicka, Becky Johnson, Rhonda Williams; (of Wisconsin) Tod Enger, Grant Hopkins; (of Illinois): Greg Hopkins, Laurie Farrell, Gary Hopkins. She has several great-nieces and nephews that she enjoyed spending time with, getting to know, and teasing them. Dorie is proceeded in death by her husband David Samuel Studnicka, her parents: Hallie Hobert Hopkins and Sarah Ardis (Morse) Hopkins, her brother Glen Hobert Hopkins, and her sister Helen Hope (Hopkins) Bowen as well as many other beloved family and friends. Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 28th, 2023 from 3-5pm followed by a celebration of life from 5-6pm at the Clary Memorial Funeral and Cremation Service in Richland Center. There will be a small reception following the celebration of life. www.clarymemorialfuneralhome.com .

Doris "Dorie" Gail Hopkins-Studnicka

December 29, 1945 - September 17, 2023