Opal Wedemeyer celebrates 100th birthday in Lawrence County

Opal Workman Wedemeyer, daughter of the late Matilda and George Workman of Lawrence County, is turning 100 years old today, (Wednesday, Nov. 4). She was born in 1926. She is the oldest of five living generations in her family.

Opal was a woman ahead of her time, she was independent and thought all women should be as well. She took her young daughter, to Ohio in 1950, to find a better life for them. She as the first woman to be a fruit and vegetable inspector in Ohio. She worked as many different restaurant chains, starting at Red Lobster when they first became a chain. She traveled to new restaurants to train the waitresses.

Opal returned to Lawrence County and started Mel-O-Dee Mountain Campgrounds in her 60’s, when most people were retiring. She then traveled all over and lived in different states. She so enjoyed dressing up and standing out in a crowd.  

She always took Hoover and Doris Workman’s twin daughters, Myrice and Sue, with her everywhere when she was in Lawrence County, but she loves all of her nieces and nephews.

Aunt Opal is a hard woman, been through a lot, but never gave up on anything, she believes in her family and herself, she knew what she could do, and then just did it.

She now resides in the nursing home and is happy as a lark. When we visit her “new home” as she calls it, she loves to joke still.

Opal has a daughter, Etta, who resides in Columbus, Ohio; and two grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.