Opal Marie (Havens) COOPER

HAVENS, COOPER, ODELL, PITTS, COSTIN, KRETZINGER, SWARTZ, OSKVIG, BRANDENBURG

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/9/2017 at 17:32:37

September 13, 1923 ---- March 1, 2017

Opal Marie (Havens) Cooper was born September 13, 1923 to Glade E. and Lois E. (Odell) Havens in Brooks, Iowa. Opal graduated from Bishop Clarkson Memorial School of Nursing, Omaha, Neb., in September 1944. Opal married Willis F. Cooper on June 24, 1944 in Omaha, Neb. They enjoyed 56 years of married life before Willis’ death on December 3, 2000. Their first home was in Childress, Texas where Willis was stationed in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and she worked as a RN at Childress Army Air Force Base Hospital. After discharge, they farmed in Corning, Radcliffe, Williams and Goodell, Iowa. Opal and Willis were blessed with two sons, LeRoy and Burton, and twin daughters, Melissa and Melinda.

Opal worked as an RN in Iowa for more than 20 years, starting as general duty nurse at Story City Memorial Hospital and Mary Greeley Hospital, then Director of Nursing Service at Hamilton County Public Hospital and Hancock County Memorial Hospital. In 1977, Opal and Willis became licensed private pilots and enjoyed 10 years of flying their Cessna Skylane from coast to coast and from Canada to Texas. Willis was President of Iowa Flying Farmers in 1979-1980 and Opal was crowned Queen of the Iowa Flying Farmers in 1980.

Opal and Willis moved to Bella Vista in 1984 where Opal continued her nursing career at Concordia Care Center, then continued as a home health nurse. In 1984, Opal earned her real estate license and served as Property Manager for Coldwell Banker Arka-Vista Realty from 1990 to 1996. After retiring from real estate, she and Willis owned and operated Cozy Quilt Custom Machine Quilting. For many years, Opal and her family attended the Methodist church. After moving to Arkansas, Opal was a member of the Bella Vista Community Church where she was active on various committees. Opal belonged to PEO Chapter GR in Britt, Iowa and Chapter CD in Bella Vista.

Opal’s hobbies included crafts of all kinds (sewing, counted cross-stitch, embroidery, crochet and quilting), collecting Heisey glass, flying and cooking for visitors to her home. Her quilts are lasting mementos for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and many other family members and friends. It was common to receive hand-made gifts from Opal for birthdays and Christmas. She would claim that each was “nothing special” but her homemade bread was eagerly anticipated and carefully rationed, and her many other gifts are cherished as small tokens of the immense love she had for her family and friends. There was always a homemade pie in her freezer, cookies in the jar and crisply made bed for guests to her home. Opal taught her family a great many lessons for life through the best of methods – simply by her example.

Opal was preceded in death by her parents, Glade and Lois (Odell) Havens; siblings, Edna Pitts, Ruth Costin and A. Eugene Havens; and husband, Willis F. Cooper. Surviving are siblings Bernard (Mae Belle) Havens and Martha Kretzinger; sister-in-law Estella Swartz; children, LeRoy (Nancy) Cooper, Burton (Glenda) Cooper, Melissa (Roger) Oskvig, Melinda (David) Brandenburg; 12 grandchildren; 24 great grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Opal requested that in lieu of flowers or plants, memorials be made to House of Three, 101 Sarah Lane, Rogers, AR 72756 or Bella Vista Community Church, 75 E. Lancashire Blvd, Bella Vista, AR 72714. A memorial service will be held at Bella Vista Community Church, Saturday, March 4th at 10:00 a.m. A private burial will be held at Fayetteville National Cemetery. Arrangements are by Bella Vista Funeral Home and Crematory.

http://funeralmation.com/home/obituary/4148225