Opal Aileen (Johnson) Cogdill

Opal Aileen (Johnson) Cogdill was born in Almena, Kansas as the youngest child of James Peter Johnson and Ida May (Stevens) Johnson on September 21, 1920.  Her childhood years were spent in Almena where she attended school and, as she did all of her life, made many friends with relationships that lasted through the years.  She went home to the Lord at approximately 3:30 a.m. on July 13 in the Conway Regional Hospital in Conway, Arkansas.

On April 18, 1946, she married her “Prince Charming” Clarence Cogdill.  He was a man who loved her so much that he bought an engagement ring for her in England while serving in the US Army during World War II.  Clarence carried the ring in his uniform pocket across Europe and on to Casablanca, Morocco and finally through Brazil on his way home to ask her to marry him.

Opal was very close to her family, and became even closer to her big brothers and her sister Marie after their father died when she was a teenager.  Because she was the youngest of the family, all of her brothers were extremely protective of her.  She and her mother were especially close and many times over the years after Grandmother died in 1973 Opal would say she could feel her presence, especially in times of stress or family illness.

Opal was preceded in death by Clarence who died in January 2003 and her siblings who passed away over the following years.  She leaves behind her son Arval and his wife Myla; granddaughter Cynthia Marshall and grandson James Arval; and two granddaughters Shania May and Desiree Marie as well the families of her siblings.

She left a lasting impact upon everyone who knew her, to say she will be missed is an understatement; but for those of us who know the Lord as she did this becomes more a moment for celebration of her life rather than a period of mourning.  She is now in a much better place with Jesus.

A graveside service will be Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 10:30 a.m CDT at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Almena, Kansas.  Memorials may be sent to Bateman Funeral Home, P. O. Box 278, Goodland, Kansas 67735. Online condolences may be left at www.batemanfuneral.com