Patricia M. Opel, age 88, of Jasper, Indiana, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at Deaconess Memorial Medical Center in Jasper, Indiana.
She was born in Jasper, Indiana, on March 12, 1937, to Harry and Henrietta (Miller) Vonderheide. She married George Opel Sr. on September 22, 1956.
She, alongside her family, owned and operated Opel’s Service Station in Haysville, Indiana. She retired from Inwood Office Furniture.
She was an active member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Haysville. She lived her faith through her kindness. She was famously sweet and giving, a woman who truly never met a stranger. Whether in a grocery aisle or a waiting room, she had a gift for making others feel seen and heard.
She loved the quiet comforts of life: the thrill of a good mystery book, the steady rhythm of cross-stitching, and the rugged stories of old Westerns.
To know Patricia was to know a mother’s love in its purest form. She lived for her seven children: Terry Opel, Tammy (Brian) Hemmerlein, George Opel Jr., Candy (Mike) Theile, Annette (Craig) Mommaerts, Michelle (Andy) Bonner, and JD.
While she joins her husband, George and her five siblings in rest, her warmth remains with her sister, Dots and the many lives she touched.
Her legacy of love continues through her 15 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren, all of whom she adored. She was the glue that held her family together, emphasizing that nothing was more important than the bonds of home.
She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, George; sisters: Lucille, Virginia, Ruth, and Sue Jane, and her brother, Bud.
A funeral service for Patricia M. Opel will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 23, 2026, in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Haysville, Indiana, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.
A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the 11:00 a.m. service time at the church on Friday.
Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Haysville.
Condolences may be made at www.becherkluesner.com.
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