Opal Blancett

Opal Blancett, 97 year old resident of Boise City, Oklahoma passed away Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the Dunaway manor in Guymon, Oklahoma.

Opal LaVon Burnett Blancett was born in Guymon, Oklahoma on September 19, 1917 to Dunn and Lona (Holden) Burnett. Opal attended school in Boise city, Oklahoma graduating with the class of 1936. After graduation Opal attended Panhandle A&M in Goodwell, Oklahoma for a short time. She also attended Barnes Business College in Denver, Colorado. Before she graduated Opal was offered a job in Ketchican, Alaska with the local newspaper while at the same time she was offered a job with the county agent Uncle Bill Baker in Boise City. She decided to come home. While working for the County Agent she received a call to go to work for State senator Julius Cox as his secretary in the 1941 session of the Oklahoma Legislature. She said "this was one of my greatest experiences"

With the 1943 State legislature coming up she was offered a secretary job for four senators, Raymond Gary, (later Oklahoma Governor) Senator Hearne of Mangum; Plowboy Edwards, of southeast Oklahoma and Jim Nance of Pauls Valley. When the 43rd session was over she was offered a job at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City as an Air Craft Dispatcher. She started in the map section and secretarial department for a short time. She moved on to the weights and balance department from there and finally was in the control tower and weather station.

Opal was offered a job to be secretary to the Base Commander at Vail, Colorado where the ski troops trained but stayed on at Tinker until two years after World War II. During this time she was called upon to be a court reporter for a number of court martials. Also during this time the Enola Gay was modified and prepared at Tinker Air base. This was the plane that dropped the first Atomic bomb on Japan.

Opal later moved to Forsyth, Montana to be the city Judge. Opal lived a long life and took advantage of every opportunity for job advancement or self-improvement. She was a very hard worker and loved the jobs she had worked over the years

Although she never had any children of her own she had several close cousins.

Opal enjoyed knitting and crocheting in her spare time.

Opal is survived by many cousins and numerous friends.

Preceding her in death are her parents, one brother Robert "Budge" Burnett and one nephew John Dunn Burnett.

Services will be conducted 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at The Christian Church in Boise City, Oklahoma with Jim Williams officiating. Interment will follow in the Garrett Cemetery under the direction of Henson-Novak Funeral Directors of Guymon.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Souter Memorial Library or the Boise City Senior Center with the funeral home accepting the contributions. Friends may sign the guest book and leave a condolence at www.hensonnovak.com