Opal Hester Radford

Opal Hester Copeland Radford, 104, of Jonesboro and Beebe left this world on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House. "Aunt Opal", as she was known by so many, joins her husband of 64 years, Lonnie F. Radford; her daughter, Kathy Fryoux; her parents, Jesse and Hester Bone Copeland and her seven brothers, Elmore, Orval, Kelley, Slayden, Orin, Elisha and Wayne Copeland and two sisters, Edith Copeland Mills and Jessie Dee Copeland Broadaway. Opal is survived by a son, Don Radford of Ashflat; two grandsons, Dale White and Gale White; three great-grandchildren, Dustin (Christy) White, Devin White and Dakota White all of Louisiana. She will be greatly missed by caregiver/niece, Martha Cheryl Broadaway Pickering and husband Harold Dee, as well as by many relatives and friends who admired and her dearly. Opal was born at 1000 N. Church St. in Jonesboro on April 8, 1909. She was a 1932 graduate of Arkansas State College (now ASU) and in 2009, at age 100, proudly served as Grand Marshall of the Arkansas State University Centennial Parade. As a teenager she was a member of the Fisher St. Methodist Church, and later joined the Bono Methodist Church. Upon moving to Beebe, Opal became an active member of the Stoney Point United Methodist Church for over 50 years. In addition to her talents in painting, music and gardening, Opal was an accomplished seamstress and an avid Stoney Point Quilter. Opal's first job was as teacher in the one room Oak Ridge School south of Bono. Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's U.S. D.A. program she taught low-income families budgeting and food preservation. Lonnie and Opal raised Hereford cattle, until he joined the Arkansas Highway Department as Survey Party Chief of North Arkansas. A visitation and sing-along (a family tradition) will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 26, 2013 at Gregg-Langford Bookout Funeral Home, 300 W. Matthews Ave., Jonesboro with Rev. David Baker of Conway presiding. Later that afternoon, visitation will be at 3:00 p.m. in Beebe at the Westbrook Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 4 p.m. and burial in the adjoining cemetery. Rev. Mark Quick, pastor of Stoney Point United Methodist Church will conduct services at Beebe. In lieu of flowers, which Opal loved, painted and grew, please send memorials to Bono United Methodist Church, 116 CR 328 Bono, Ark. 72416 or Stoney Point United Methodist Church, 1812 W. Mississippi, Beebe, Ark. 72012. Online: www.mcnabbfuneralhomes.com.