Opal Pennington Leach

Funeral service for Opal Pennington Leach will be held 10 AM Wednesday, January 2, 2008 in First Baptist Church with Rev. Lee Dickson and Rev. Craig Beeman officiating. Burial will be in Fern Park Cemetery under the direction of Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home of Natchitoches, LA. Visitation will be Tuesday, January 1, 2008 from 4:30 PM until 7 PM in the funeral home and on Wednesday, January 2, 2008 from 9 AM until service time in the church. Mrs. Leach, 91, of Natchitoches, LA., died Saturday, December 29, 2007, at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center in Natchitoches, LA. Mother was blessed with many achievements during her life. After receiving her teaching certificate from Normal College she soon married James Thomas 'Selby' Leach in 1936 and had four children. She retired from Sears Roebuck in l974 and then enjoyed vacations in the mountains with Selby and her grandchildren. In later years, Opal, enjoyed taking trips overseas as well as stateside with various groups of friends. First Baptist Church was her extended family. She loved the Lord and enjoyed being involved in activities where she could show this. Senior activity Day at the Church was especially meaningful to her. Opal volunteered at the Loving Care Mission from its onset and felt it was important to take an active part in W.M.U. and other Christian organizations. In her leisure time Opal liked to fish with her sisters on Sibley Lake, visit with numerous friends and use her season tickets to the NSU football games. She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Selby Leach; brother, Arlo Pennington; son-in-law, Paul Kemper, Sr.; parents, Marshall Meredith Pennington and Maude Elizabeth Durham Pennington. She is survived by three daughters, Anna Vaughn Kemper of Saint Louis, MO, Selby Jean Thomas and husband Ralph of Montgomery, TX, and Beth Burris and husband Bill of Haughton, LA; one son-Jim Leach and wife Charlotte of Georgetown, TX; also carrying on her memory are six grandchildren, Paul Kemper, Jr., Donny Payne and wife Sharon, Todd Leach and wife Susan, Randy Payne and wife Renee, Trey Burris and wife Melissa, and Joel Burris; Opal was proud of her three great grandchildren, Matthew Leach, Mallory Burris, and James Burris; two sisters, Hazel Nowlin and husband John of Natchitoches, LA and Jewel Sibley of Natchitoches, LA. We will miss our Mother, Grandmother, and friend. Thank you God for sharing her for 91 wonderful years with us. Pallbearers will be her six grandsons, Paul Kemper, Jr., Donny Payne, Todd Leach, Randy Payne, Trey Burris, and Joel Burris.