Opal Hart

Opal Hart, 93, of Winterset, died June 4, 2011 at the Madison County Health Care System in Winterset. A visitation will be held from 3 to 8 pm, Tuesday, June 7 at the First United Methodist Church in Winterset where the family will be present to receive friends from 6 to 8 pm. Funeral services will be held at 11 am, June 8 at the First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Winterset Cemetery and memorials may be directed to the church or MDA, 383 Collins Rd., NE #10, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402. Opal Marcella Hart was born May 22, 1918 in Victoria Township, Cass County, Iowa; the daughter of Augustus Grover and Mary (Cron) Maeder. Opal graduated valedictorian from Griswold High School in 1934 at the age of 16. She received a scholarship to Grand Island, Nebraska where she obtained her teaching certificate. Her teaching career began in 1937 and took her to country schools in Adair and Madison Counties. When teaching in Madison County, she met and later married George Curtis Hart. The couple was married on June 7, 1940 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. In those days, a teacher could not be married so this ended her teaching career but kept very busy raising her family and helping her husband manage and operate their family farm. Opal was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Winterset and was active in many church activities throughout the years. She was awarded for being a long-time 4-H leader. She was a charter member of the Sunshine Garden Club where she held numerous offices including President. She was a Master Gardener and a member of the Federated Garden Club of Iowa for 65 years. Gardening was a passion which she took very seriously, taking many horticultural courses at Iowa State University as well as serving as a State Floral Judge for several years. She also took great interest in the horticultural aspects of both farming and vegetable gardening which provided for the family in multiple social and economic ways. Opal was also very interested in genealogy and history being a member of the Madison County Genealogical Society. She was a member of the Madison County Historical Society where she volunteered, giving tours and helping staff the museum. She was a member of the Current Topic Club as she was a voracious reader, reading many books over the years. She also enjoyed travel and keeping up with all the activities of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Opal is survived by her children, Richard (Cheryl) Hart of Waterloo; Shirley (Bill) Roach of Winterset; 3 grandsons, Mark (Misti Williams) Roach, Joe (Mia) Roach and Brett (Mindy) Hart; grandson-in-law, Darin Brincks and 6 great-grandchildren, McKenna, Tucker and Maggie Hart; Elliott Brincks; and Madeline and Ava Roach. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, George in 2003; siblings, Letha Heichel and Edna Casey; and a granddaughter, Heather Hart Brincks.