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Sis. Opal Wilson's
Obituary |
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(Faith & Victory : Nov. 1964) |
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Opal Beatrice (Alexander) Wilson was born November 13, 1905 at
Violet, Oklahoma and departed this life September 24, 1964 from the
mission field in Eastern Nigeria, Africa at the age of 58 years, 10
months and 11 days.
On March 31, 1929 she was united in marriage with Ostis B. Wilson at
Shawnee, Oklahoma. To this union three children were born, one
daughter and two sons.
In March of 1931 she and her husband moved to Clovis, New Mexico
where they pastored the congregation of the Church of God until
January 1934. Then they moved to Anthony, Kansas where they had the
oversight of the church until June of 1943. In June of 1943 she and
her husband moved to California where she became the pastor of the
Church of God congregation which was then holding its services on
Perlita Ave. in Los Angeles. This congregation later moved its place
of worship to Osborne Place in Pacoima and she continued the
pastorship of this congregation until the time of her death.
Opal was constantly reaching out for greater and higher things in
the spiritual realm and was possessed of a missionary zeal and
vision which was constantly looking out upon far horizons. She often
lamented over the lack of the missionary zeal and spirit on the part
of so many of the church. She carried a great and constant burden
for the progress and expansion of the church and the work of God and
for the spiritual stability of the saints. These themes were
predominant in many of her sermons and much of her preaching.
She had a keen interest in the poor and underprivileged peoples of
the earth and was much of the time "chewing at the bits," to use a
homely expression, to be able to go and impart to them the benefits
of the gospel of Christ. She had an avid interest in mission work
wherever it was being carried on and was possessed of a restless
spirit to go and participate in that kind of work herself.
God finally granted her this privilege in June of this year to go
and to be active in missionary work on the mission field in Eastern
Nigeria, Africa and she grasped the opportunity with joy and
anticipation. She, with her husband, arrived at their station on
this mission field on the 13th day of August of this year. She
entered into her work there with zest and zeal and with keen
interest and anticipation. She loved her work and was happy and
contented in this place. She very quickly came to love dearly the
people with whom she worked and they loved her.
But this was not to continue long. God had other things in mind for
her. At the end of about five weeks she was stricken with a severe
illness and about nine days later God called her unto Himself to
reap the reward of all her labors in this life. She went with
courage and confidence, testifying that she was ready to go and was
willing to go if that was what God wanted. Her husband asked her
different times during her illness if she was glad she had come, and
she affirmed to the very end that she surely was.
She dearly loved her children and was much concerned continually
about their way of life and that they give their hearts and lives to
God and love and serve Him. Often in her praying she was heard to
say, "Oh God, one more time I bring my children and lay them on the
altar before you that you may save their souls at any cost." Those
prayers are silenced now, but may God in His own way and time pour
them all out where they belong and bring them to pass.
She is survived by her husband, Ostis B. Wilson, 12312 Osborne
Place, Pacoima, Calif.; one daughter, Mrs. Wilda Adams, Panorama
City, Calif.; two sons, George W. Wilson of the U. S. Air Force and
Weldon Wilson, Los Angeles, Calif.; three sisters, Mrs. Myrtle
Sutton, Fresno, Calif., Mrs. Lois Miller, Lake Charles, La., and
Mrs. Ruth Mason, Pomona, Calif.; four brothers, James J. Alexander,
Yorba Linda, Calif., R. F. Alexander, Richmond, Calif., Guy
Alexander, Pencil Bluff, Arkansas, and Ruel L. Alexander of
Wynnewood, Okla.; four grandchildren, a number of nephews and
nieces, other relatives, and many saints.
Funeral services were conducted by Bro. Ira Stover and Sister La
Vern Manuel on Oct. 5 in the chapel of the Forest Lawn of the Hills
(Hollywood Hills) and her earthly house was laid to rest nearby to
await the general resurrection at the last day. |
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