"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Since the birth of their first son Steve in 1951, Ed and Opal were dedicated to raising their family. Philip was born in 1953 and Cindy in 1957. While teaching high school choir in Galveston and working as minister of music, Ed was building an impressive resume withe the Houston Opera Compay. When he came to a crossroad of choosing a potentially rewarding career in opera and vocal performance, he ultimately put his family first.
In his own words, "As I began to think about my children, I thought how nice it would be if we could raise them protected by a farm or a ranch. I went so far as to promise my oldest son, Steve, that by the time he was ten we'd have our own farm or ranch, and I began to think mostly about my family rather than about my profession...perhaps even more than my Christian service."
He began searching for a rural school district where he and Opal could teach, and in 1960 they found a 21-acre ranchette in Carthage, Texas (Panola County) where his father's family had settled in the 1800s. They signed teaching contracts with the Carthage Independent School District and Ed was soon serving as Minister of Music at the Central Baptist Church.
They loved their years in Carthage, then as they moved on and later settled in Flagstaff, Arizona, they fell in love with a whole new landscape with mountains and pines and aspen. Their children grew up, married, had children of their own, and they are all an extension of Ed and Opal's legacy...three children, eleven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.
You read about how Ed met Opal in college. They had the kind of enduring love and dedication that movies are made about. In fact they almost created their own version of "The Notebook." The night Opal died suddenly from an aortic dissection, Ed had a heart attack and didn't tell anyone until the next morning. He was hoping he could join her right away. But he survived, had two heart stents placed, and lived another year as our patriarch.
Opal was Ed's companion in life for 64 years. He adored her, and when she began to slip into the shadowy world of Alzheimer's, he cared for her with tenderness and compassion. He told us that sometimes when he'd ask her a question, she had a very difficult time finding the words to respond. She would say, "I can't think of anything...except that I love you." And it was enough.
If you'd like to read more about Opal and watch her tribute video, you can go to her memorial website at
"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." Proverbs 17:6