Opal Irene Neelly

1922 - 2026

May 4, 1922 - Mar 1, 2026

Opal Irene Neelly, age 103, passed away peacefully with her daughters by her side on March 1, 2026 in her own bed at Homestead Assisted Living in Louisburg, Kansas. She was born on May 4, 1922, at home near Anadarko, Oklahoma, to Lonnety and Isaac C. Clark. She was the fifth daughter in a family of ten children.

In 1940, at the age of 17, Opal married L.A. Decker. They had two children, William Edward and Lonneta Lynn. Tragically, Opal was widowed in 1951 at the age of 29.

After her loss, Opal moved with her children to Wichita, Kansas, where she worked at the Boeing Aircraft Company. She worked on the first B-29 as a riveter. It was at Boeing that she met Oric C. Neelly of Hopewell, Kansas. They married in 1956 and had two daughters, Brenda Elizabeth and Rebecca Kay. The Neellys lived in Wichita until 1970, when they purchased the family farm in Pratt County, Kansas. Opal was the quintessential farm wife. She canned and preserved hundreds of jars from the large garden and orchard each year and was an exceptional cook, always delighted to host large family gatherings featuring farm-to-table meals served promptly at noon and often ending with her famous homemade pies for dessert. A talented seamstress, she made her own clothing as well as garments for her daughters and granddaughters. During World War II, she contributed to the war effort by sewing pup tents for the U.S. Army.

Opal was deeply involved in her community. She was a member of EHU and the Byers Methodist Church Mothers Club, served as a 4-H leader, supported Skyline Schools, and drove a school bus in the late 1970s.

Opal and Oric shared nearly 58 years of marriage until his passing in 2014. Opal then moved to an independent senior apartment in Olathe, Kansas to be near her daughters and granddaughters. At age 100 she moved to Homestead Assisted Living facility in Louisburg, Kansas.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; her son, William Edward Decker; daughter, Lonneta Decker Madden; and all of her siblings, Blanche Talent, Pearl Kemp, Roxy Williams, Helen Main, Calvin Clark, Herbert Clark, Orene Johnson, JoAnn Poynter, and Isaac "Ike" Clark.

Opal is survived by her two daughters, Brenda Elizabeth Black (David) and Rebecca Kay Neelly (Kim Hutson); her four grandchildren, Jessica Kinzler (Eric), Danielle Berger (Matthew), Nicholas Madden, and Libby Neelly (Tim Reynolds); and her four great-grandchildren: Jackson Kinzler (9), Jameson Berger (9), Barrett Berger (6), and Avery Kinzler (6). Her daughter-in-law, Gail Suzanne Decker, also survives.

Above all, Opal lived a life of service. She was a caretaker by nature-always giving, always serving others.

Opal Irene Neelly will be remembered for her strength and determination, devotion to family, generous heart, and the countless ways she cared for those around her.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Larrison Mortuary, Pratt. Food and Fellowship will follow the service. A private family interment will be held at Iuka Cemetery, Iuka.

Memorials may be made to Pratt Public Library or B-29 Museum. Online condolences may be made at www.larrisonmortuary.com.