Constance "Connie" E. Opland

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Flowers……When we think of mom we think of flowers.

Mom’s outward smile reflected the inner beauty that she carried with her as a Child of God. The love of the Lord shown through in all that she did and was. She greeted with a smile and cheerful word. She blessed others by bringing bouquets of flowers to church every Sunday from early spring until late fall. Mom recognized those in need of being uplifted or those hurting and she offered to them what God gave to her in the form of smiles, laughter, a kind word and flowers.

Mom, in over a 60 year marriage with dad, Bennett Opland, raised six children on a dairy farm in a caring, warm and loving environment. She spent most of her time either in the garden or in the kitchen. She had an open door policy and nobody left hungry. She multiplied and extended that same love to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, friends, neighbors, family and those strangers that quickly became friends. She taught each of us to appreciate the sunrise and sunset of each day that painted a unique picture of God’s love for each of His children.

Aside from tending to business on the farm and raising kids, mom was on the road selling Fuller Brush and Watkins. She was a familiar face on the door steps of folks in the Colton area offering them the service of bringing their cleaning and cooking supplies directly to their doors. Mom and dad took bus tours where they entertained the folks with their shenanigans. Mom was always active in church teaching Sunday school, adult classes, sewing quilts and serving as the first female president of the Willow Creek Congregation to name a few. Mom loved being part of the local Garden Club and Senior Center and was never afraid to take on a leadership role or being the Master of Ceremonies. Her most important role, however, was sharing the Gospel in word and service to others.

Constance Elida Opland, daughter of ConRoy and Elfrida (Erickson) Langloss, after 97 years of life left this world behind and went to her forever Home in Glory on January 29, 2019 at the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center. In her final minutes on this earth, her eyes held the promise of greater things to come.

Preceding mom to Glory and anxiously awaiting to greet her were her parents, ConRoy and Elfrida; husband, Bennett; three brothers, Omar, Kenneth and Leonard; grandsons, Heath Knutson and Aaron Opland and granddaughter, Jamie Fox.

Connie leaves behind on earth her six children, Bernie Clare (fiancé, Bonnie Pinnerud) Opland, Milton Norman (Pamela) Opland, Bonnie June (Raymon) Sondergaard, Roseanne Kay Ruff, Trudy Celeste (Randy) Hartman and Judy Ray (fiancé, Brett Traphagen) Fox; twelve grandchildren; thirty great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services and Celebration of her Life will begin at 2:00 PM Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Willow Creek Lutheran Church, rural Dell Rapids. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Friday, February 1, 2019 at the church.