Opal Irene Cooper

Opal was born on March 23, 1921 in Maryville, MO. She was the oldest child of Ralph and Gladys Ratekin. She had three brothers, Eldon, Don, and Robert.

Opal went to a country school in Bedford, IA and graduated with a teaching certificate and pursued her teaching career.

She met her future husband, Daryl, while helping a friend with a play production. They married on June 7, 1941. Opal and Daryl's first home was a small trailer. At that time, Daryl enlisted in the Army.

After the Army years, Opal and Daryl moved to Clarinda where their first child, Janice, was born. In 1950, they moved to Dunlap where their second child, Jim, was born. They were very active in the community.

Opal and Daryl bought a rundown house and rehabilitated it and made it into a home where they lived until they moved to Council Bluffs in 1965.

Opal continued to pursue her teaching career at Lewis Central. She got her Medical Assistant certificate and worked for a physician in Council Bluffs for several years.
In 1992, Opal and Daryl moved to Risen Son.

Opal enjoyed playing golf, cards, bowling, and square dancing. She was a lifetime member, and past matron, of the Eastern Star. She was also a longtime member of Salem United Methodist Church.

Together, Opal and Daryl loved to travel and spent many winters in Mesa, Arizona enjoying their retirement years. For some reason they liked the Arizona winters better than the Council Bluffs winters.

Opal had five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, a family who loved her and lots of friends at Risen Son.

She had touched the lives of many and will be missed by all who knew her.