Edward “Jim” Opfer 1914-2005
HELMING, OPFER, MOEN, PRESTEMON, BECK, TURTELTAUB, FLAGE
Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 7/15/2009 at 11:29:14
Edward “Jim” Opfer
Edward “Jim” Opfer, 90, of Waukon, died Saturday, March 19, 2005, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, following a brief illness. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 23 at 11 a.m. at Zalmona Presbyterian Church in rural Waukon, with Pastor Amy Perkins officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.
Edward Simon “Jim” Opfer was born October 14, 1914, in rural Waukon, Iowa, the son of Henry and Clara Emma (Helming) Opfer. He was baptized and confirmed at Zalmona Presbyterian Church, attended Ludlow No. 5 Rural School, and graduated from Waukon High School.
On August 31, 1939, he married Marcella Moen at the Washington Prairie Lutheran Church Parsonage in rural Decorah, Iowa. Jim and Marcie took over the operation of the Opfer home farm in Ludlow Township where they operated a dairy herd of registered Brown Swiss Cattle and raised hogs, beef cattle, and crops. Jim also hauled cream. In 1972 they moved to Waukon and he started a livestock trucking business which he operated for many years. Since retiring from active farming, he also raised registered Belgian horses.
Jim was a lifelong member of Zalmona Presbyterian Church where he had served as a Trustee and Elder. He was also a former secretary and board member of the Ludlow Creamery. Jim liked to go dancing, play euchre, and travel. He was an avid reader and particularly liked novels about the Old West. Taking care of his horses was a labor of love and he spent several years going on wagon and trail rides throughout the area. Jim’s favorite times were spent with his family.
Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Marcella “Marcie” of Waukon; four children, Sheryl (John) Prestemon and Robert (Cynda) Opfer, both of Waukon, Linda (Jerry) Beck of Ft. Madison, Iowa, and Brenda (Ken) Turteltaub of Livermore, Calif.; four grandchildren, Becky Gesing, Brad and Shari Prestemon, and Troy Beck; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers Martin and Leonard; sister Lois Flage; and great-grandson Ethan Gesing.
Honorary casketbearers are Joe Bakke, Chester Thune, Earl Gander, Randy Loeb, Leo Klocke, Virgil Opfer, Frank Hager, Roger Bacon, Ben Kruger, Earl Iverson, Ralph Osterholz, Irenus Baumler, and Roger Kolseth. Casketbearers are Merlin and Vaughn Gesing, Brad Prestemon, Ronald Opfer, Troy Beck, and Scott Lang.
The Waukon Standard, March 2005 newspaper clipping from my mother's obituary collection.
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