Florence "Goldie" Pope

Florence was born May 19, 1921 in Portis, Kansas, the youngest child of Rudolph and Anna Michael Rueger. When she was a few months old, her family moved from Kansas to the small town of Florence, Colorado where she grew up, attended school and worked in the family’s general store. After graduating from high school, she moved to Denver where she attended college and then went to work for the Federal Government as an office manager of the Railroad Retirement Board. While living and working in Denver in 1947, she met and married a young Marine Lieutenant, Carl Edward Soreide, who was attending the University of Denver after a tour of service flying combat missions in the Pacific during World War II. After their July 4th wedding, they moved to Carl’s home town of Bowman, North Dakota where they took up residence on the family farm. During the next two years, the newlyweds eventually traveled to Seattle and Oregon where they had a son, Jimmy Dean. After Carl reenlisted during the Korean Conflict, Florence – who was nicknamed “Goldie” by Carl’s friends because that was the color of her hair in the late afternoon sun – returned to Denver where she continued to live after his untimely death in 1952. Florence remarried in 1955 and she and her new husband, Denver Pope, and children Jimmy and newest arrival, Robert Denson (Bob) Pope, took up dairy farming on 160 acres in Parker, Colorado. She lived the life of a farm wife and mother with the same strength of character and work ethic that she had poured into her professional positions – up early every morning to cook breakfast and help with the milking, get the boys ready and off to school, drive hay trucks or whatever the farming project of the day was, bake bread and prepare meals, help again with the evening milking, then homework, the family finances, and with all that, keeping an immaculate house. When the family sold the dairy, she went to work in the local school system as an office manager and secretary where she stayed for many years, making many friends and contributing to the success of the administration. After her divorce in 1975, she sold the farm in Parker and moved to Canon City, Colorado where she devoted her time to caring for her father and sister, Helen, until they passed away. After Bob’s sudden death in 1983, Florence decided to seek out the warm and sunny weather of northern Georgia and moved to the Alpharetta area where she could be close to her niece, Kay Stroud, and Kay’s family. A long-time Methodist, she joined the Presbyterian Church in Alpharetta where she volunteered weekly for many years. Until her recent hospitalization, Florence lived independently in her own home, drove her car every day and enjoyed reading, going out for coffee and cheering for the Atlanta Braves. She drew strength and vitality throughout her life from a private but vibrant spirituality. Florence is survived by her son Jim and his wife Kathleen of Maine; her niece Kay and her husband Don and family of Georgia; grandchildren Melissa, Lianna, Jeff, Sharon, Chandra and Matt; and great grandchildren Isabella, Amelia, Douglas, and Jack. A Private family service will be held at Greenlawn. Interment is at the Green Lawn Cemetery in Roswell, Georgia. Instead of flowers donations in her memory should be made to the charity of your choice. Northside Chapel Funeral Directors and Crematory, Roswell, GA. 770-645-1414. www.northsidechapel.com

Florence "Goldie" Pope

May 19, 1921 - July 28, 2007