Love and roses

TORRINGTON – Albert Hopp’s life is looking rather rosy these days.
A longtime local, Hopp has collected and cultivated 111 blooming rosebushes at his Torrington home. The various colored roses brighten the corners of his driveway where he has carefully attended the roses for over 20 years.
“The blooms this year are definitely the most beautiful they have ever been,” said Hopp of his sizable rose garden. Hopp, now 93 years old, provides the roses with intense care and maintenance on a daily basis. The roses are a lovely sight for locals, and they are one of Hopp’s longtime passions. Hopp’s wife, Elsie said that he “loves taking care of his roses and tending his garden.”
While Hopp loves his roses, his lifelong passion is Elsie, to whom he has been married for 72 years. Albert went to high school at Huntley at the same time as later Wyoming Governor Stanley Hathaway, while Elsie graduated from Torrington High School in 1943. Reflecting on how they met, Elsie recalled, “We met at the Goshen County Fair in probably 1940. We were married before Albert left for the Navy, and we’ve been together ever since.”

Hopp served in the Navy during World War 2, and his injured hip is a reminder of his service. “I was actually present at the signing of the peace treaty with Japan,” remembered Hopp. He served with the group of 23 Destroyers sent in a convoy to Japan to settle the peace treaty before returning to Goshen County and his wife, Elsie.
Upon his return to civilian life, Hopp immediately purchased a farm in Goshen County and worked as a farmer for decades before settling down in Torrington. Now, he reflects on a life filled with adventure, hard work, and love.
“I’ve lived a good life, and I’m happy with the decisions I’ve made. I have a wonderful wife. I’ve been very blessed,” said Hopp.
Hopp also compared marriage to keeping a garden.
“There are ups and downs and it takes work,” he said. “But in the end it is worth it all to be together.”
For Albert and Elsie Hopp, life has been full of love and roses.