Opal Marie (Refior) Muhlenkamp, 89, of North Platte, NE went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 at Great Plains Health Hospital. Opal was born on November 28, 1934 in Lincoln County, NE the daughter of Carl and Naomi (Wilkenson) Refior.
Opal attended school in both North Platte and Elsie, NE graduating from Elsie High School at the age of 16. She then moved to North Platte, where she met her lifelong love, Nicholas Muhlenkamp, and they were married on January 2, 1955 at the North Platte Berean Church. Opal worked in the Dry-Cleaning business for most of her adult life working alternately for Ed Orr at Orr’s and Jim Orr at Parisian Cleaners. She was a member of the Berean Church most of her life and had only recently become a member of the Calvary Baptist Church until health made it difficult for her and Nick to attend. Opal was also a member of the Early Ford V-8 and Flatlanders Car Clubs, where she served multiple years as secretary for the latter. In her spare time, Opal loved painting ceramics, embroidering and cross stitch, making numerous tablecloths and quilts which she loved to give to family members. She was also known as an ardent dish collector, having collected multiple sets of depression glass dishes, as well as Shirley Temple dishes and dolls, miniature tea sets and multiple other collections. She was beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and great great grandmother who will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Opal was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Naomi; sisters, Mary (Bob) Doe, Delores (Paul) Schneider and Betty Refior; as well as nieces, Debbie (Vencill) Gilliam, and Sherry (Schneider) Shultz; nephew, Larry Muhlenkamp; sister in-laws, Katherine (Bob) Mason, Clara (Fred) Vencill, and Marcella (Don) Hille; brother in-laws, John (Betty) Muhlenkamp, and Antone Muhlenkamp; daughter in-law, Kimberly (James) Muhlenkamp.
Those left to cherish Opal’s memory are her husband of 69 years, Nicholas Bernard Muhlenkamp of North Platte; daughter, Mary Ann (Chuck) Anderson of North Platte; son, James (Anita) Muhlenkamp of Baker, West Virginia; grandsons, Charlie (Holly) Anderson of Hickman, NE, Ryan Muhlenkamp of Dale City, VA, and Nicholas (Jennifer) Muhlenkamp of Ladysmith, VA; granddaughters, Melissa (Dave) Ritner of Wilcox, NE, Audra Majors of Fredericksburg, VA, and Michelle (Christopher) Creed of Nashville, TN; 17 great grandchildren; 2 great great grandchildren; sister in-law, Shirley Muhlenkamp of North Platte; brother in-law, Hank Muhlenkamp of North Platte; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and other family members.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Berean Church.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 6, 2024 at the Berean Church with Bill Crooks and George Cheek officiating. Private burial will follow at Fort McPherson National Veterans Cemetery, near Maxwell on Monday, July 8th. Visitation will be from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 5th with the family receiving friends from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Online condolences and expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.carpentermemorial.com.