Opal Lorene (RICE) GOODALE

GOODALE, COOK, RICE, MINNICK, SIMCOKE, DERRY, CUNNING, BROOKS, BLEVINS

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 8/28/2010 at 06:34:51

OBITUARY - OPAL LORENE (RICE) GOODALE

May 14, 1917 - August 23, 2010

Opal GOODALE, 93, of Diagonal, died Aug. 23, 2010, at the home of her daughter, Shelly COOK, in Creston after a lengthy illness. Arrangements are pending at Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Diagonal.

Opal Lorene RICE GOODALE, first child of Douglas and Minnie (MINNICK) RICE, was born May 14, 1917 near Ellston, Iowa. She went to be with her Lord and Savior on August 23, 2010; Angels carrying her home to rest in peace free of pain and suffering. At the time of her passing she was residing with daughter, Shelly COOK, in Creston, Iowa.

Most of Opal's life was spent in the Diagonal and Mount Ayr area with the exception of 2 years spent in Brush, Colorado due to her asthma. Opal attended 3 country schools in Ringgold County and graduated from Diagonal High School in May 1936. She attended her 74th alumni banquet this past May in Diagonal.

Opal was united in marriage to W. A. GOODALE on May 22, 1936 at the Methodist Parsonage in Mount Ayr, Iowa. The couple had 3 children; Linda, Vicki, and Rochelle (Shelly).

Opal & Bill bought a 120 acre farm 8 miles NW of Diagonal in 1940 where they engaged in general farming with a small dairy until Bill's health declined. She was still residing on that farm until her health declined in June of this year. She always had a large vegetable garden. She did canning and preserving of food for family, even after they were grown. She was generous and shared the bounty with others in need - sometimes even preparing the food for the freezer before presenting it to the receiver. Opal was also a seamstress. She did mending and sewing for her family and others. She was meticulous in this endeavor as her daughters can attest.

In addition to being a farm wife, Opal worked for 5 years as head cook at the Clearfield school lunch room in the early 1970's. Her delicious cinnamon rolls were a big hit with students there. Following that she worked as a day cook at Clearview Home in Clearfield for a little over 2 years. Her pancakes and liver and onions brought her notoriety there.

Mrs. GOODALE was baptized and taken into membership of the Calvary Church of rural Clearfield on April 4, 1948. She later transferred her membership to the Diagonal United Methodist Church in 1952. Opal was active in church work serving on various boards over the years. She was always prepared for the annual church harvest sale with gooseberry pies, cinnamon rolls, and black walnuts. She especially enjoyed her quilting circle and sewing school bags for the mission project.

Bill and Opal celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in May, 1986 at the Diagonal United Methodist church with many guests attending. They were married 58 years before Bill passed on August 2nd, 1994. Opal continued to enjoy visiting friends, relatives and neighbors in local nursing homes. She was noted for her many get well cards and letters to anyone she heard of who was under the weather. She was always ready to lend a helping hand and believed her letters helped lighten the burden on the receivers.

Opal's family was her pride and joy. She especially adored her grandchildren and enjoyed reading to them when they were small. She was always interested in their projects and would do anything to help. She fought off her health issues and hung in there awaiting the arrival of great granddaughter Haileigh Opal Kristene Lundy on August 4th, 2010. How she smiled when she got to hold that new baby! She smiled when she held all of them!

Opal is survived by her daughters, Linda SIMCOKE (Patrick) Maley of St. Petersburg, Florida, Vicki (Melvin) DERRY of Des Moines, and Shelly (John) COOK of Creston. She also leaves a brother, Lewis (Peggy) RICE of Lenox, and sisters, Charlotte (Dwight) CUNNING of Mount Ayr, Betty BROOKS, of Kennewick, Washington, Jorene (Bill) BLEVINS of Springfield, Missouri. She also leaves 10 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Opal was preceded in death by her parents and parents-in-law, loving husband, Bill, infant grandson, Eric DERRY, granddaughter, Sonja SIMCOKE, brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Sadie RICE, son-in-law, Richard SIMCOKE, and brother-in-law, Max BROOKS.

Memorials are to the United Church of Diagonal and Feed The Children Foundation.

Services were held Thursday, August 26 at 1:30 p.m., United Church of Diagonal. Interment at Diagonal Cemetery.

SOURCE: www.watsonarmstrongfh.com/obituaries.aspx?turl=http://aurora-24708.tributes.com/show/Opal-Goodale-89191028

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2010

Ringgold Obituaries maintained by Tony Mercer.
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