Opal Marie Atherton
Opal Marie Atherton, 95, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on September 10, 2016 surrounded by her children. Funeral services will be Monday, September 12, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Family Fellowship with Rev. Paul Blue and Rev. Rick Blue officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Park Cemetery. Visitation will be 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Sunday at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home.
Opal was born on February 19, 1921 to Joseph Claude Swindell and Mary Ella Tapp Swindell. At the young age of 16, Opal accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. She spent the rest of her life serving Christ. Opal has been a member of the Family Fellowship of Greenville since 1957 and has served in numerous ministries with her church.
Opal married the love of her life, Martin Atherton on July 13, 1938. They were fortunate to be together for almost 70 years. She worked for many years at Henson Kickernick. It was during those years that her co-workers enjoyed her banana pudding on each of their birthdays. She was well known by family and friends for the many greeting cards she created with her artistic abilities and poetry.
Opal is survived by her children, Bobby Atherton, Sr. and wife Ellen, Don Atherton and wife Barbara and Carolyn Atherton Brown. She was blessed with six grandsons, Alan Brown, Woodrow Atherton, Bobby Atherton, Jr., Jason Atherton, Bradley Atherton and Michael Atherton. She has 17 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren and a brother, Orville Swindell and wife Ella. She was preceded in death by her husband, Martin in 2008 and her parents.
Honorary pallbearers will be the Fellowship Bible Class of Family Fellowship. Pallbearers will beLarry Patterson, Rick Evans, David Ellis, Steve Eaton, Dean Harrison and Larry Middlebrooks.