Opal Leeper

Born December 10, 1914 in Marcelline, Missouri to Robert and Myrtle (Sutton) Skinner, she married Virgil Leeper on July 10, 1932 in Laclede, Missouri.  He died November 9, 1961 in Peoria.

Also preceded in death were 1 son, Cecil Leeper; 1 granddaughter; 3 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandson; 3 brothers; and 2 sisters.

Surviving are 2 daughters, Daphna Haynes of Mapleton and Alice Reeves of Rochester, Minnesota; 1 son, Andrew Leeper of Chowchilla, California; 20 grandchildren; 47 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

A homemaker, Opal loved gardening, canning, and quilting.  She had been a member of the Mothers’Club at Mapleton Grade School.  Opal was a “grandmother” to everyone in Mapleton

Her funeral will be at 2 p.m., Monday, February 16, 2009, at Preston-Hanley Funeral Home, Pekin chapel.  Rev. Paul Oedewaldt will officiate.  Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the funeral.  Burial will be in Maple Ridge Cemetery in rural Mapleton.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, Memorial and Tributes Lockbox, 3816 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, IL  60674