Opal Speer

Her funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 18, 2010, at United Methodist Church in Bayard with Pastor Ted Meter officiating. Interment will be in the Bayard Cemetery.

Friends may visit from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Friday, at Bayard Memorial Chapel in Bayard. 

Opal was born February 5, 1918, at Arnold, Nebraska, the daughter of William and Flora Downing. She came with her family to the Bayard area when she was six weeks old and lived there until she moved to Lincoln in 2008. She received her elementary education at East 73 rural school and graduated from Bayard High School.

She married Joe Speer June 3, 1939, at Alliance, Nebraska. They had two children, Judy and Neal. Opal worked with her husband as a bookkeeper at Trinidad Bean Company from 1953 until 1980 when she retired. She also worked for Bayard Transcript and Bayard Clothing.

She was a long time member of the Bayard Presbyterian Church where she was an elder, taught Sunday School for many years, and was active in the Women’s Association. She was a Cub Scout Leader, a member of the Red Willow Club, served on the Library Board, and Bayard Housing Authority Board.

She was an avid reader, loved to garden, do crossword puzzles, and sew. Most important to Opal was spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, other members of her family and friends. She and her husband, Joe, enjoyed traveling a great deal after their retirement. Opal and Joe celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 1989. In 1994, they were honored as Chimney Rock Queen and King.

She is survived by her daughter, Judy (Jim) White of Lincoln; grandchildren, Krissa (Tom) Schaaf of Thomasville, North Carolina, Jamalee (Joe) Matthews of Omaha, Zachary Speer of Friday Harbor, Washington; and Kyle (Amber) Speer of Bellingham, Washington; great-grandchildren, Allysen and Nicholas Schaaf, Derek and Victoria Matthews, and Truman Speer; sisters, Velma (Joe) Monheiser of Greeley, Colorado and Roberta Bates of Cheyenne, Wyoming. She is also survived by members of her husband’s family with whom she had a long relationship, Glen (Charlene) Speer of Scottsbluff, Betty (Ted) Meter of Gering, Don Speer of Manteca, California, and Earl (Dema) Speer of Grand Island; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Neal; husband, Joe; brother, Gordon Downing; sister, Hazel Carrier; and daughter-in-law, Patricia Speer.

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