Lanier, Hankins, Hopkins & Taylor Families

• Born: 9 November 1886, Wallins Creek, Harlan County, Kentucky ²
• Marriage: Idress Jane "Ida" HOWARD on 3 November 1917 in Bexar County, Texas ¹⁰⁷⁰
• Died: 4 March 1969, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida at age 82 ¹⁰⁷²
• Buried: Garden of Memories Cemetery, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida ^773,1072

  More Information:

• Namesake: John was named for his maternal grandfather, John Covey Howard.

• 1900 United States Federal Census, James Hopkins household, Harlan County, Kentucky ¹⁶⁴: John was living with his parents. He was listed as John C. Hopkins (son, age 13, born Nov 1886).

• Education: John attended Berea College in Berea, Madison County, Kentucky between 1903 and 1904. ⁷⁷⁷ John attended Berea College in Berea, Kentucky between 1903-04.

• Career Military Service, 1905 1935: John enlisted in the U. S. Army on 27 Jan 1905 in Somerset, Kentucky and served until he retired in 1935 at the rank of Major. During his early service in the US Army, he was stationed in the Philippine Islands from 5 May 1905 to 9 May 1907, from 4 Mar 1910 to 15 May 1912 and from 4 Oct 1912 to 15 Oct 1915. He was stationed in Germany from 11 Dec 1918 to 8 Jul 1919 and in France from 10 Jul 1919 to 29 Jul 1919. He was also stationed in Columbus, Ohio and Buffalo, New York as a recruiter.

According to discharge papers from1908 - 1920, John was discharged and re-enlisted as follows: Discharged 26 Jan 1908 at Fort Bliss, Texas. Re-enlisted 27 Jan 1908 at Fort Bliss and was discharged 26 Jan 1911 at Camp Jossman, Phillippine Islands. Re-enlisted 27 Jan 1911 at Camp Jossman and was discharged 24 Aug 1912 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Re-enlisted 4 Oct 1912 at Fort William McKinley, Phillippine Islands and was discharged 3 Oct 1915 at Fort Mills, Phillippine Islands. Re-enlisted 4 Oct 1915 at Fort Mills and was discharged 5 Jun 1917 at Camp Funston in Leon Springs, Texas in order to accept a commission as Captain. Re-enlisted 6 Jun 1917 and was discharged 31 Oct 1919 at Camp Travis, Texas. Re-enlisted 1 Nov 1919 at Camp Travis and was discharged 17 Sep 1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• Physical Description: In his U. S. Army discharge papers between 1908 and 1917, John was described as 5' 8'' or 5' 8 1/2" with brown eyes & hair and a ruddy complexion.

• 1910 United States Federal Census, John Hopkins household, Camp Jossman, Guimaras, Philippine Islands ¹⁰⁷³: John was in the Army. He was listed as a Private, age 27, born in Kentucky, occupation Soldier.

• Grave Marker: Major John C. Hopkins, Garden of Memories Cemetery, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. ¹⁰⁷² View photo of marker at Find A Grave.

John married Idress Jane "Ida" HOWARD, daughter of William Frye HOWARD and Mintie Laura HOWARD, on 3 November 1917 in Bexar County, Texas.¹⁰⁷⁰ The marriage ended in divorce. (Idress Jane "Ida" HOWARD was born on 6 June 1894 in Harlan County, Kentucky,¹⁰⁷⁴ died on 3 March 1986 in Coldiron, Harlan County, Kentucky ¹⁰⁷⁵ and was buried in Howard Cemetery, Laymon, Harlan County, Kentucky ¹⁰⁷⁶.)

• Wedding Ceremony: 3 November 1917, Bexar County, Texas. John & Ida obtained their marriage license on 27 Oct 1917 and were married 3 Nov 1917. The ceremony was performed by J. R. Davis, County Judge of Bexar County, Texas. Laura Howard and A. O. Pancoast were witnesses.

View Marriage Certificate ¹⁰⁷⁰

• Children: John & Ida had one son and were divorced when he was still a young child. Neither of them ever remarried.