My Mother Opal Leonard was a wonderful person. I remember her as always being an inspiration. She was a den mother for my brothers, and was very involved with their troup.

She was a lady shoemaker in the 30's & 40's, and that was at a time when women just didn't do things like that. She and my father Lester owned 2 apartment buildings, a laudramat (the 1st one in Hastings Nebraska), the shoe shop, a grocery store, and a figurine shop.

All of us kids were involved in Scouts, music lessons of some kind, (Piano, according, guitar, horn, french horn and even mandalin). I and my sister Helen took tap, ballet and toe dancing. My brothers were Gymnist and took tennis lessons. Now that I have children of my own, I realize what a feat that was for her to have so many different things going on constantly in our house.

We kids were raised with a sense of responsibilty. My brothers cleaned and painted and rented apartments each time someone moved out. I remember at the age of 10 going to the shoe shop after school and running it until closing time. Of course all I did was take in the shoes that needed repaired or the ones being picked up and paid for, and my parents would come in evenings or Saturdays to repair them.

I have letters from my brothers after they went into the milatary offering to send home their paychecks because daddy had become disabled and Moma was doing everything on her own. They had gone bankrupt because of his disabilities and lost everything in 1955. It was hard on Moma having to take over everything, and she started working at Engleside as a dietitian then. Daddy died in 1960, and was buried on my 16th birthday.

Moma was in our car when we had a bad accident in 1968. She hit her head on the rearview mirror and was unable to work after that. She had to retire from Engleside and suffered from rumatiod Arthuritus that was stirred up after the accident. She lived 12 more years after the accident, but did not have another day with out pain because of the accident.

She used to go to California for the Winters and would stay with Les and his family and visit Vern and his family while there. Les had a little guest house out back that she stayed in during the winter, and I know she was so grateful to him for that.

Moma had a way of making everyone feel like they were the only person in the world when you were talking with her. She truly was one of God's gifts to this world. I have never known any one quite like her. I miss her dearly.

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Opal had a little dog named trigger that went with her everywhere.