Opal Kiefer

CHAFFEE — Opal May Kiefer, 100, went to be with Jesus on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

She was born Oct. 12, 1924, to Charley and Gertrude Leggett. She grew up in a loving family with her brother, Raymond, and sisters, Audrey Faye and Jane Day. She happily married Leon "Frog" Kiefer on Nov. 19, 1955, after a very short six weeks of getting to know one another.

Opal worked at the shoe factory in Chaffee for many years, then thoroughly enjoyed a much-deserved retirement filled with fishing, camping, picking up/cracking out pecans and walnuts and visiting friends and family. She lived a simple, joyful life and held a never-ending, unconditional love for all her family members.

She made friends with anyone she met and was very well known in her small hometown of Chaffee, especially for her chicken and dumplings. She was the life of the party, wherever she went. Her favorite pastime was crocheting. For the past several years she made lap covers for the “old people” in local nursing homes. Even at 100, she did not consider herself “old".

Opal’s family would like to thank the staff, who have become family and friends, at Lutheran Home for loving "Grandma" Opal for the past six months of her Earthly journey.

She has been missing Frog since December 1999, but will yearn no more to see him, as they met up in Heaven on this beautiful day. She was also reunited with her parents; brother; sisters; her son, Danny Dees; and so many other family members and friends.

Those who are missing her now are her daughter, Carolyn (Richard) Walther; three grandchildren, Misty (Philip) Wilhite, Ginger (Eric) Hanselman and Alisha (Jamie) Curtis; great-grandchildren, Trenton (Erin) Curtis, Mattison Cline, Anna and Georgia Hanselman, Paige Wilhite and Ireland Curtis; great-great-grandchild, Hadley Mae Curtis; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17, at the funeral home, with Pastor David McCormick officiating. Interment will follow in St. Ambrose Catholic Cemetery in Chaffee.

Online condolences may be shared at www.amick-burnettfuneralchapels.com.