Opal Kahl

Opal Dorothy Kahl, one of three children of Helen (Kay) and Fred Miller, was born in Emerson, Nebraska on December 15, 1912. Opal attended rural school in Silver City and Council Bluffs, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church in Mineola, Iowa. Following school through the eighth grade, Opal lived and worked at home with her parents on the farm.

She met Wilbert Gustav Leo "Bud" Kahl at a dance near Mineola, Iowa. They were married August 23, 1930, in Rockport, Missouri after secretly eloping in Bud's brother's car; while they were thought to be at the Sidney Rodeo. Following their marriage, Opal and Bud made their home on the "old Taylor place" near Silver City where they lived for seventeen years. In 1948, they purchased the former Dr. McCue home and moved into Silver City. They were blessed with their daughter, Cindy. Opal and Bud loved the farm and remained active even after Bud's retirement. They were members of the St. John Lutheran Church in Mineola. They enjoyed traveling and belonged to the Midwest Travel Club and the Silver City-Mineola Senior Citizens Group. They also enjoyed gardening and yard work and continued to raise chickens for many years. Opal was a talented seamstress and enjoyed sewing for Cindy and her grandchildren, as well as herself. She and Bud had been married nearly 63 years when Bud died on November 27, 1993. Opal continued to live at her home and remained active in her church and W.E.L.C.A. She enjoyed quilting and playing cards with the ladies and worked on the Silver City Library Newsletter. Opal continued to travel and was a member of the Heritage Club Tour Group.

On June 1, 2005, Opal moved from her home to the Amelia House Assisted Living Center in Council Bluffs. Opal died at the Woodlands Rehabilitation Center in Council Bluffs on September 24, 2005 at the age of 92 years, 9 months, and 9 days. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bud Kahl, and brothers Arthur Miller and Albert Miller.

Opal is survived by her daughter, Cindy McCollester and her husband Jim; grandson Chad McCollester and granddaughter Marcy McCollester all of Silver City, Iowa; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.