HOPPLE RECEIVES COBBLESTONE AWARD

Jess David Hopple Sr. joined a small but growing crowd Friday morning.

He was named recipient of the Cobblestone Award, an award devised by Willard H. "Dutch" Estes a number of years ago to honor individuals who exhibit civic dedication.

Estes, a retired funeral director, presented the 1996 award to Hopple, a retired executive of Ford Motor Co., North American Operations-Manufacturing. Hopple moved to the Cape Girardeau area five years ago.

"Hopple's hobbies include helping others," Estes said in making the presentation.

Hopple, a native of Poplar Bluff, is president of the Missouri Veterans Home Foundation Board and president of St. Francis Medical Center's Mended Hearts, Chapter 261. He is also a member of the board for Mid-America Teen Challenge and the Salvation Army. And he is a member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Although Hopple is a member of another church, he helped build the new Hobbs Chapel Church, said Estes.

Estes has been passing out his engraved Cobblestone Award for more than 15 years.

"I collected several of the old cobblestones down at the Mississippi River," said Estes. "I stored them in my basement. I don't have too many left."

Recent winners of the award have been Dennis Marchi, manager of Schnucks; Bob Neff, general manager and partner of Ford Groves Motor Co.; and Nancy Bray, director of the marketing and communication department at Southeast Missouri Hospital.