Opal Atwood

Fort Wayne

Opal M. Atwood, 97, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, April 21, 2016 at Towne House Retirement Center in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

She was born September 12, 1918, in Akron, Ohio, the daughter of Charles Harry and June Belle (Warner) Thompson and graduated from Columbus High School.

Her employment included: Assistant Director at Columbus Girls’ Club; Society Editor, Reporter and Photographer at The Evening Republican; the first Patient Representative at Bloomington Hospital; and Free Lance Writer at The Muncie Star. Opal was noticed as the author or subject of over 900 newspaper articles. She volunteered with Bartholomew County Girl Scouts; Delaware County Widow Persons’ Service; Muncie Retired Senior Volunteer Service where she received the Yearly Volunteer Award, Indiana District Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and Muncie Meals on Wheels.

Opal was a past president of Ball State University Wives and Women’s Club; past president, National Co-Chairman and current member of Kappa Kappa Sigma Sorority, Muncie Alpha lota Chapter; former member of the Columbus Theta Chapter and Bloomington lota Chapter; and former member of the Muncie Sexton Dance Club. Opal was a current member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Ft. Wayne; charter member of Faith Lutheran Church in Bloomington; and a 33-year member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Muncie, where she served in many volunteer capacities.

Surviving are four daughters, Carol (Tellman) Clark (husband, Nedrick Miller) of Ft. Wayne, Diane (Tellman) Cantrell of Kingwood, Texas, Peggy (Tellman) Davis (husband, Edward) of Ft. Wayne and Amy (Atwood) Birmingham of North Little Rock, Arkansas; four grandchildren, Robert D. Clark, Jr. of Ft. Wayne, Todd Clark of Kamuela, Hawaii, Heather Clark Van Voorhis (husband, Paul) of McKinney, Texas and Petty Officer Second Class, United States Navy, John Mason Birmingham of Honolulu, Hawaii; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Dotty Dinkins (husband, Paul) of Columbus and Evelyn Cue of Ft. Myers, Florida; and ten nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Francis W. Tellman and Dr. H. Mason Atwood; one sister; and one brother.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 610 N. Reserve Street, Muncie, with Pastor Mark Neubacher officiating. Entombment will follow in Elm Ridge Cemetery, Muncie.

Friends may call at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 610 N. Reserve Street, Muncie, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, 2016.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 3425 Crescent Avenue, Ft. Wayne, IN, 46805; Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 610 N. Reserve Street, Muncie, IN, 47303 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.

The Meeks Mortuary and Crematory, Washington Street Chapel, Muncie, is in charge of arrangements and online condolences may be sent to the family at www.meeksmortuary.com.

www.meeksmortuary.com