Opal Faye Kirkham

DAINGERFIELD -- Graveside services for Opal Faye Kirkham, 101, of Houston and formerly of Daingerfield, will be held at 2:00 P.M. today at the Daingerfield Cemetery with the Rev. Norman Crisp officiating under the direction of Nail-Haggard Funeral Home. Opal celebrated her 101st birthday on May 25, 2005, and celebrated her reunion with her Lord on June 11, 2005. She was born in Daingerfield, one of nine children of Elouise and Davey Kirkham. She was a very attractive lady and had her fair share of suitors, but never married. Early in life, she dedicated herself to helping her parents and siblings and to her profession as a secondary-level instructor of many subjects, including mathematics, grammar, and reading. Opal's first teaching position was in 1924 at the age of 29 in Iron Bluff, in a true one room schoolhouse where she taught all grade levels. For a salary of $70 a year, Opal was responsible for cooking lunch for the students as well as maintaining a good supply of firewood, cut during recess with the help of her students. She later taught in Naples, Tyler, and Daingerfield before retiring in 1970 after 46 years of service. Opal always considered Daingerfield her home and maintained a residence there which she shared with her brother, Castle, as well as her parents during their later years. During Opal's years of teaching at Hogg Junior High in Tyler, she rented a room in a private residence during the school year, returning to Daingerfield each weekend and during holidays. In her mid-nineties, she and Castle relocated to the Houston area in 1997. Opal earned two degrees in education, both from East Texas State Teacher's College in Commerce, now a part of Texas A&M system. Throughout her life, she was actively involved in various teacher organizations and had many hobbies. She loved to cook and, as long as she was able, cooked for Daingerfield residents who were infirm or homebound, many of whom were younger than she. She enjoyed beadwork, flower and vegetable gardening, reading, writing, and traveling with her teacher friends. Opal is preceded in death by her eight siblings, and is survived by numerous nieces and nephews as well as one brother-in-law, Leon Sellars of Houston. The family wishes to express warm appreciation to Bill Burt, (a student of Opal's some 50 years ago) and his wife, May Bruce, of Tyler for their devotion and expressions of love to her throughout her life. For those desiring to make contributions in Opal's memory, the family requests that memorial donations be to the charity of your choice with acknowledgements sent to 15027 Hollydale, Houston, Texas 77062.