Family and friends will gather to honor the life of Opal Juanita (Bentley) Thomas on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at 2:00PM in the Rose Room Chapel at Croxford Funeral Home, located at 1307 Central Ave in Great Falls, Montana. A Graveside service will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, located past Benefis Hospital off of 26th Street South. Visitation will be open to family and friends on Tuesday, April 7th from 6pm-8pm, also at Croxford Funeral Home.

In the early hours on Saturday, April 4, 2015, the Lord gently called Opal home while surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

She was born November 6, 1936 in Sergent, Kentucky. She was the daughter of William Oliver “Will-O” and Sadie (Begley) Bentley. She met and married John Willis Holbrook there and in 1960 John and Opal left the coal mines of Kentucky and relocated their family to Washington State, where they eventually purchased and successfully ran a restaurant.

In 1973 Opal was remarried to Dennis Thomas. Shortly after the birth of their son, Sean, the military relocated them to Italy. Opal loved the adventure of traveling around Europe while there. They were then stationed in Elyria, Ohio. She loved this assignment especially because her brothers and sisters and their families lived there. This gave her the opportunity to get close to her nephews and nieces whom she adored. While there, she worked her way up to a management position with a local Convenient store chain.

In 1992, Opal settled in Great Falls, Montana to be near her daughter, Jean and her family. She obtained her Real Estate license and truly enjoyed her career as a Realtor.

Opal retired in 2000. She loved spending time hosting family gatherings and celebrations in her lovely home. One of her highlights was when her grandchildren would come to spend several weeks of their summer vacation with her. She thoroughly enjoyed each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Grandma Opal had a special way of making each child feel unconditionally loved and cherished. Her years as a short order cook in her restaurant helped prepare her for her ‘Super Grandma’ status as she would make each child’s favorite dish, no matter how many different entrees that would require. However, it wasn’t just the grandkids placing their ‘orders’. Family and friends stood in line for her famous biscuits and gravy as well as her cornbread and soup beans.

Opal will be deeply missed by her family and friends but her love and influence will carry on for generations. Truly, she was the “treasure of her children’s heart”.

Opal is survived by her five children: daughter, Norma Jean (Holbrook) Stillwell and her husband Robert and their four children Andrea, Bobby, Rachel and Heath; daughter, Opal Marquita ‘Keta’ (Holbrook) Evans and her husband Bob and their two sons John and Ron; son, John Willis ‘Rocky’ Holbrook, Jr. and his wife Kim and his two sons John and Jacob; daughter, Barbara (Holbrook) Odom and her husband Clyde and her two children Christina and David; and son, Sean Michael Thomas.

She is also survived by her siblings, Benjamin H. Bentley, Willie Jean Craft, Sadie B. Ridge and Bobbie Faye Whitaker, all of Ohio.

Opal was preceded in death by her father and mother; brother, William Oliver Bentley ‘Jr’; and sister, Betty Sue Tackett.

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