Opal Goodrich
Opal Goodrich
Opal Hester Goodrich, 98, of West Union, Iowa and formerly of Prairie City, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, at Good Samaritan Society in West Union.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Prairie City Church of the Brethren.
Burial will take place at Clark Cemetery near Luther, Iowa.
The family will greet friends following the service with a luncheon at the church.
Memorials may be directed to Prairie City Church of the Brethren or Athletes In Action at the University of Iowa.
Condolences may be left for the family at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com.
The daughter of Earl and Mary Susan (Buckingham) Brubaker, Opal was born on Jan. 14, 1920, in Prairie City.
Opal attended Prairie City schools graduating from high school in 1938.
She worked as a telephone operator for a year to make money for college.
She attended McPherson College to earn her teaching certificate in 1940, and her first job was teaching all grades at a country school near Prairie City. In 1946, Opal took a teaching job in Luther, Iowa.
During that year she met Army 1st Lieutenant Paul Lester Goodrich, who had recently returned from WWII. They were married March 8, 1947, and settled on the Goodrich family farm near Luther.
Female teachers weren’t allowed to be married back then, so she worked with her husband on the farm raising crops, milk cows and chickens and growing beautiful vegetable gardens.
A daughter Susan Kay and son James Earl were born by 1960.
They were both in school so Opal began teaching kindergarten at Woodward Elementary. She attended night school at Drake University and graduated with a four-year degree in elementary education in 1962.
She enjoyed being involved as a member of Luther United Methodist Church and was always proud of her children’s achievements at piano recitals and basketball games.
In 1972, Opal took a job at United Community Elementary School where her children attended.
During that time, her husband Paul passed away on Aug. 7, 1974 after a nearly 5-year battle with cancer.
Opal remained on the farm until she completed 30 years of teaching kindergarten, first and second grades. She retired in 1984.
The next year, Opal moved back to her hometown of Prairie City where her brothers and cousins lived. She enjoyed being once again active in her family’s community and church – Prairie City Church of the Brethren, and she had many years living next door to her double cousin Ida Mae.
Opal’s faith in Jesus Christ’s saving grace and extending that love to others was very important to her. Those who knew her would say she definitely had a gift of service, jumping in to help anyone in need. She took great joy in being a grandmother to five grandchildren and continued to garden and sew quilts.
Opal’s last few years were spent under the loving care of her daughter Susan in West Union, Iowa
Opal is survived by her daughter, Susan Goodrich of West Union, Iowa and son Jim (Laurie) Goodrich of Coralville, Iowa; grandchildren Sara (Brett) Runde of Dubuque, Iowa, Reina Maley (Friend Ryan) of Audubon, Iowa, RaeAnn (Adam) Bird of Houston, Texas, Aaron (Jessica Goodrich of Grand Forks AFB, N.D., and Paul Ramsey (Andrea) Goodrich of Dahuk, Iraq; 13 great-grandchildren, Alexis, Kaitlyn, Scott, Jr., Brianna, Devin, Collin, Bethany, Elizabeth, Caleb, Lenora, Lydia, Silas and Micha; sisters-in-law, Vivian Brubaker and Kane Brubaker; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brother and their wives, Carl (Helen and Vivian) Brubaker, Price (Berniece) Brubaker, Leo (Norma) Brubaker, Merlin Brubaker, Doyle (Maxine) Brubaker, Marvin Brubaker; sister Anna; and brothers Everett and Laverne, who died in early childhood. 5u5