March 29, 2024

Opal Fisher

Grant City, Mo.

Opal Irene Fisher, age 92, of Grant City, Missouri, died Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016, at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Opal, daughter of Boyd and Gladice Marie (Fish) Gray, was born Nov. 3, 1923, in Jefferson Township of Taylor County.

Opal was a graduate and salutatorian with the class of 1941 of Parnell High School in Parnell, Missouri.

She received her teaching certificate from Northwest Missouri State Teachers College (NWMSU).

On Dec. 21, 1946, Opal was united in marriage to Ernest Eldon Fisher at Troy, Kansas. To this union, five children were born, Jerry, Donna, Judy, Doyle and Kevin.

Opal started her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in 1946. After taking time off to raise a family, she resumed her teaching career with Head Start. She was one of the first teachers in the Head Start program providing comprehensive early childhood education, health and nutrition for many families in the community.

Opal was very active in the community, serving as president of Worth County Senior Citizens Board, Chaplain for Worth County Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, member of Grant City First Christian Church and Christian Women’s Fellowship.

Opal was preceded in death by her parents; husband Ernest on March 11, 1989; daughter Donna Ekren on May 12, 2011; son-in-law Don Ekren; four brothers and three sisters.

Her survivors include son Jerry (Janet) Fisher of Holt, Missouri; daughter Judy (Steven) Hoakison of Creston; sons, Doyle (Katie) Fisher of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Kevin (Carla) Fisher of Stanberry, Missouri; brother Jim (Peggy) Gray of Branson, Missouri; sister Elaine Shornhorst of Independence, Missouri; 14 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, great-great-great-grandchildren; nieces; nephews; and a host of friends and loved ones.

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at First Christian Church in Grant City, Missouri. Burial will be in Grant City Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, at Andrews-Hann Funeral Home, 416 S. Front St., in Grant City, Missouri. Memorials may be made to Worth County Senior Center or Worth County VFW Women’s Auxiliary. Online condolences may be left at andrewshannfuneralhome.com.