"Ode to Opal"

This post is more personal and is intended for my posterity. You are welcome to read if you'd like.

Opal Tenney Goodman Allen passed from this mortal life on March 27th 2008. How fitting that her funeral, a celebration of her life, was held on what would have been her 95th birthday March 29th 2008. I was privileged to attend with my husband and children. It was great to see all the many, many cousins and I wanted to write down some information about her for my posterity.

Born on a goat farm in south-eastern Arizona on March 29th 1913 to Nathan Orson Tenney and Myrtle Mary Wear Opal was the forth of ten children. At the age of 12 her family moved to Prescott, AZ and purchased a cattle ranch. She later married Everett Lee Goodman in the Salt Lake Temple and moved to Idaho where they farmed. After Everett became very sick with a kidney disease the family purchased a store and motel in Myrta, Idaho. Everett died in 1957 at the age of 48. Opal, being a widow with 7 children still left at home (Jackie, the oldest had recently married) sold the store and motel and moved the family to Prove, UT so the 2 & 3^rd children could attend BYU and still live at home. She became a national sales-woman for the company that hired her and was able to support her children on her own for the time being.

After a few years in Utah the Lord had a different plan for her and brought the family back to Prescott, AZ. She then married Merle M. Allen. Merle had lost his wife, Tenna Allen, months prior and had three grown children. She had known Merle years previously as she and Everett worked for him many years before in Prescott. Merle was 62 years old and Opal was 47 when they were married for time in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Merle took on the responsibility to help continue to raise the six children that were still at home and was the “granddaddy” I knew growing up. They were married on July 1, 1960 until Merle died in 1997 at the age of 98.

Opal a.k.a. “Grandma Goodie” has a posterity that currently includes 8 children, 45 grandchildren, 95 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. I was privileged enough to be around this incredible woman many times and lived in her home while attending Yavapai college. She got to know Brandon well has we dated and were engaged while I still lived there.

I’m not sure of another woman that set a greater example for her posterity to follow. She believed in the gospel and lived what she believed. She was a missionary to literally anyone she met and if my memory serves me right she personally shared the gospel with 25 people who were baptized and that does not include the mission her and Merle served while they were married. She loved her country and was involved politically in her community and state. She believed in education and was the forerunner in starting Yavapai College where some of her children and grand-children have attended. She believed in smiling all the time and thinking positive. She did not believe in thinking negatively and always reminded other to change their attitude and find the bright side in any situation. She believed in serving and served in her family, did church service, community service and quiet service that many people never knew about. One of her motto's was, “If you act enthusiastic, then you’ll be enthusiastic.” How true is that!

She left a great legacy for her posterity to follow and I hope I can gain many of the same traits she had and teach my children a love for the Savior, family and this country has she did. She will be greatly missed, yet how wonderful the reunion will be with her when my time is through.