Opal A. Reynolds

Heaven?s doors were opened the morning of December 7, 2009 @ 3:40 AM to welcome sister Opal Arbutis (Jones) Reynolds to heaven. She met her Savior while residing at the Missouri Veteran?s Home, Warrensburg, MO with family and friends praying her on. Opal grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of KY. She went to work at an early age to help the family. She later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio working at a factory as an Aircraft Assembler during the beginning of WWII. Desiring to enter the service, she had to wait until she was of age to join. She served in the Army as a Medical Technician stationed in Springfield, MO. There she assisted service men and women who were being physically treated before leaving the service, or for those who were injured serving overseas. For her services she was awarded an American Theater Ribbon and a Victory Medal.
It was in the service that she became close friends with her soon to be husband?s cousin from south MO. Orvan and Opal courted for a short time, and they were then married after the end of the war and they were both had been discharged from the service. They began their lives as dairy farmers near Diamond, MO and then chose to relocate to Kansas City, MO area, where they resided until 1962. At that time they chose to relocate to rural Garden City/Creighton area to pursue raising their family with rural roots. Opal and Orvan were married 40 years before his death in l987. To their union 3 children were born: Terry, Linda, and Brenda. Their family was expanded when upon the death of her brother and sister-in-law, she helped to raise two nephews, Ronnie and Larry Reynolds, and a niece, Sue (Reynolds) Keifer. Opal was a homemaker during most of the family?s early years. She later worked for garment factories first in Holden and later Garden City until her retirement in 1982. She was a member of the United Garment Workers Union. She enjoyed the company of neighbors as a member of the Index Extension Club of Cass County. She accepted Christ at an early age, and found value teaching God?s love to her family and many children through Sunday School classes and Vacation Bible School. She taught Sunday School for preschool-aged classes, loving each child as God?s unique person that they were. She was a very faithful member of the Garden City Baptist church until she was no longer able to attend due to her health. However, she continued to remain faithfully praying for family, friends, loved ones, country, and any thing one shared with her to lift up to her Lord and Savior. She also loved her daily devotions and to listen to hymns. Opal enjoyed the country life, gardening both vegetables and flowers. She was especially fond of her irises. She crocheted and sewed, constructing and creating many wonderful items, quilts, and garments. She shared her love for sewing with several generations of her family. She enjoyed teaching these skills to others and shared with her family, friends, and taught several 4-H projects. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, William Orvan Reynolds; 2 brothers, Daryl and Adam Troy Jones and a sister Mary Jones. She is survived by 3 children, Terry Reynolds, Reeds Springs, Mo., Linda Reynolds Jones and husband, Kenley, Creighton, Mo., Brenda Reynolds Brown and husband, Jeff, Belton, Mo.; 3 grandchildren, Stephanie Jones, Jeffrey Jones and Karley Jones; 3 step-grandchildren: Jeremy Brown, and wife, Sally, Linsey Brown, and Keith Brown, Belton, Mo.; 2 step great-grandchildren: Kody Yohe and Lane Brown; 6 sisters: Delphine Mailo and Georgia Rude both of Williamsburg, Ky., Edna Walker, Rochester, NY, Nancy Morris, Batavia, NY; W. Sue Lawson, Dayton, Oh.; Darlene Watson, Sullivan, Mo.; 5 brothers: Jim Jones, Louisville, Ky., Ralph Jones Williamsburg, Ky., Bill Jones, Renfro Valley, Ky., C. Leroy Jones, Toccoa, Ga., M. Ray Jones, Chesnee, SC; a niece, Sue Reynolds Keifer and husband Ron, Urich, Mo.; a nephew, Larry Reynolds and wife Sally, Joplin, Mo.; other relatives and many friends.
Funeral services were held Friday, December 11, 2009 at the Dickey Funeral Home with a 2:30 p.m. Graveside service on Friday, December 11, 2009 at the Van Buren Union Cemetery, Diamond, Missouri.
Family suggests memorials to the Twin Lakes Hospice or the Mo. Baptist Children?s Home.