101-year-old Opal E. Dale of McLeansboro, died at 6:55 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at Hamilton Memorial Rehab & Nursing Center in McLeansboro. She was a homemaker, and was a member of the First Baptist Church in McLeansboro. Opal loved working in her flowers and stopping to talk with friends when she went to town. She worked as a bookkeeper at the family lumber yard on the Square of McLeansboro. In addition, she worked in some capacity in almost every business on the McLeansboro Square. Opal was born on July 14, 1918 in Galatia to Charles Ryan and Dorotha (Hale) Ryan. She married John Robert Dale on June 4, 1939 and he passed away on July 2, 1995.
Survivors include a son: John William “Bill” Dale of San Francisco, California; a nephew: Robert Pemberton of Mt. Vernon, IL; a niece: Shirley Wagner of Naples, Florida. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband John and nine sisters.
Opal was cremated, as per her request and a Memorial Service will be scheduled for a later date. The Harre Funeral Home of McLeansboro is in charge of all the arrangements.