Opal Mardell Valentine

Opal Mardell Valentine daughter of Virgil & Tressie (Oakley) Brundage was born January 8, 1928, near West Liberty, MO, and passed away at her home in rural Powersville, MO, where she had resided for the past 51 years on July 27, 2013, at the age of 85.

Mardell attended West Liberty, Terre Haute & Lucerne grade schools and graduated from Lucerne High School. She attended Central Business College in Kansas City, MO.

On September 20, 1947, she married Sammy Valentine at New London, Iowa. To this union was born three daughters, Jennifer, Jolene, and Jill.

Mardell worked for the Farmers Exchange Store in Powersville, MO, Hallmark in Kansas City, MO, and worked as a secretary for Tech Supply Company in Chattanooga, TN, while Sammy attended Tennessee Temple Bible College in Chattanooga, TN. She worked on the farm along side Sammy and was Pastor’s wife while he pastored Allerton Baptist Church in Allerton, Iowa, and West Liberty Baptist Church.

Mardell accepted the Lord as her personal Savior at a tent meeting on the ball diamond at Temp’s Midway Store. She has faithfully served the Lord since that day. One of her passions was teaching the youth group at West Liberty. She also loved to garden, cook (especially noodles and deviled eggs with the great grandkids), fish, find a new baby calf, and spend time with family.

She is survived by daughters Sammie Jolene and her husband Harold White of Powersville, MO and Gayla Jill Valentine of LaCygne, KS. Also surviving are granddaughters Gayla Jennifer Huber of Kansas City, MO and Holly Jane and her husband Barrett Lee Anderson of O’Fallon, MO, grandson Jesse Aaron White of Powersville, MO; great grandsons Benjamin Mac Anderson, Trapper Wise Anderson and Ike Jamison Anderson and great granddaughters Satchal Valentine Anderson & Oakley Rose Anderson, and an additional Anderson grandchild will be arriving in August 2013. Mardell is survived by brothers, George Brundage & wife Loretta; Finis Brundage & wife Sue; and a sister Anna Lee Blanchard.

Mardell was preceded in death by her parents and her husband’s parents, Paul & Ethel Valentine. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Sammy in 2008; a daughter, Jennifer Mardell in 1964 at the age of 15; an infant grandson James Stephen Hearne in 1979; and her brothers Keith & Robert Brundage.

Funeral services for Mardell Valentine will be at West Liberty Baptist Church at 10:00 am on Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Visitation will be at Playle and Jones Family Funeral Home in Unionville, MO, from 6:00 – 8:00 on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. Interment will be at the West Liberty Cemetery.

Memorials for Mardell are suggested to the West Liberty Baptist Church and may be entrusted with Playle & Jones Family Funeral Home, 709 S. 27th, Unionville, MO.

O death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin;
And the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
I Corinthians 15:55-57