Lawrence “Larry” Opfer
Lawrence “Larry” Opfer, age 99, youngest child of Herman and Adelena (Jasch) Opfer, was born in Fairbury, NE on May 30, 1926. He was welcomed by Floyd, Roy, Raymond, Elmer and Mable. His father was killed in an accident when he was 2 ½ years old.
Larry passed into Heaven’s Gates on his 99th birthday, surrounded by family at Methodist Medical Center West, after a brief illness.
Larry graduated from Fairbury High School in 1944 and enlisted in the Naval Air Corp. He attended colleges in flight training at Doane College in Crete, NE and at St. Mary’s College in California. Larry transferred to the regular Navy in WWII and was a fuel tender on a ship until the war was over. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Larry graduated from Fairbury Junior College having studied mechanical engineering and then worked for the Rock Island Railroad.
Larry married Anita Hurd on March 26, 1950, in Beaconsfield, IA. Larry and Anita made their home in Beaconsfield where their first home was the original Hy-Vee store building and they lived there two years. In 1952, Larry and Anita purchased their farm near Pleasanton, IA.
Larry and Anita became parents to John Lynn (1953) and Larry Lee (1957). His greatest joy in life was his family and he delighted in watching his boys grow up. As his grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along, Larry loved nothing more than spending time with each one of them.
Larry was a very social man and active in his community and church. He was a 74+ year member of the Masonic Lodge. Larry served as a school board member, a 4-H leader and was active in Farm Bureau. He loved the outdoors, the land, hunting, fishing, the livestock and his dogs. The farm was his happy place. Larry took care of the land, always looking for ways to improve it. He felt very blessed to stay on the farm for 72 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings, Floyd and wife Verna, Roy and wife Margaret, Raymond and wife Wilma, Clarence, Elmer and wife Esther and Mable and husbands, Virgil, Alwyn and Burdette; in-laws, John and Marie Hurd, Ada and Cleo Bryant, Lauren and Florence Hurd, Eldon Hayes and Frank Drohner; niece, Pat Opfer; and nephew, Kip Opfer.
Left to mourn his passing are his wife of 75 years, Anita; sons, John of Pleasanton, IA and Larry Lee (Christine) of Colfax, IA; grandchildren Angie Hall (Alan) of Newnan, GA, Eva Van Wyk (Ryan) of Colfax, IA, Elissa Opfer of New Orleans, LA, and Ethan Opfer of Des Moines, IA; great grandchildren, Ellie, Kayla and Mark Hall, and Riley and Emily Van Wyk; bonus granddaughter, Valerie Arnold; sister-in-law, Lorena Drohner; and many other relatives and close friends.
Funeral services will be held at the Slade – O’Donnell Funeral Home in Leon, IA at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 7, 2025, with burial following in the Hamilton Cemetery, Pleasanton, IA. A memorial fund has been established by the Family.
Family and friends are invited to attend an open house at the First Baptist Church, 24 N. Walnut Street, Colfax, IA on Sunday, June 8, 2025, from 2 to 4 p.m.