Opal Irene Mattix
Opal Irene Mattix
Oskaloosa. Opal Irene Mattix, 83, of Oskaloosa, died of cancer, Friday, November 5, 2010, surrounded by her family while being cared for at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. She was born on October 11, 1927 at Truax, Iowa, the middle child of eleven born to Zachariah and Bertha Mae Davis Newell. Early on she attended rural schools in Mahaska County, and she finished her schooling at Oskaloosa High School. Following school she went to work for Ideal Manufacturing in Oskaloosa. On March 15, 1947, she was united in marriage to Gilbert Hols, and three children were born of that union: Dianne, Steve and David. They later divorced. On April 21, 1983, Opal was united in marriage to John R. Mattix in Oskaloosa; he died on May 18, 2009. John and Opal owned and operated the Union Tavern and Café in Oskaloosa from 1968-1987. After selling the Union, Opal began working as a cook at a daycare in her neighborhood. Lastly, she worked at the Oskaloosa Herald until an accident forced her retirement in 2008. Opal’s family was the center of her life, and she delighted in all of the time she got to spend with them. She and her siblings also remained close, gathering for family reunions twice a year. She enjoyed having and browsing garage sales, grocery shopping and cooking. She had perfected her Dutch Letter recipe, and her family always looked forward to enjoying them at family gatherings. Everyone loved her homemade noodles, especially her great grandchildren. Among her many other interests, Opal enjoyed trips to casinos with her sister-in-law Bonnie, attending the Iowa State Fair every year, fishing with family, playing Bingo, watching the birds and squirrels in her back yard and cheering for Tiger Woods.
Opal is survived by her children: Dianne (Dean) Taylor of Prairie City, Steve (Cindy Lovell) Hols of Oskaloosa and David (Kim) Hols of Runnells; grandchildren: Kristi Berg, Justin Braden, Harmony Hols, Daniel Mattix and Adam Taylor; 6 great grandchildren; a brother: Glen (Ruth) Newell of Oskaloosa; a sister-in-law: Bonnie Newell of Oskaloosa; a brother-in-law: Kenny Hunt of Lacey; 3 stepchildren and their families: John D. (Ann) Mattix of Oskaloosa, Charlotte Augspurger and Ruth Ann Lage, both of Altoona.
Opal was preceded in death by her husband; parents; three brothers: Dale, Donald and Dean Newell; six sisters: Maxine Baltimore, Leona Moore, Helen McLoney, Doris Gerard, Dorothy Slycord and Darlene Hunt.
Funeral services for Opal Mattix will be held Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 1 pm in the Bates Funeral Chapel in Oskaloosa with Pastor Alvern Boetsma officiating. Burial will be in the Coal Creek Cemetery south of Beacon. Visitation will begin Monday after 9 am in the Bates Funeral Chapel and the family will be present at the funeral home from 6–8 pm to greet friends and relatives. Memorials may be made to Mahaska Hospice.
Source: Bates Funeral Chapel
