Funeral Services for Orpah Horner, 92, will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, November 8, 2008 at the Fairview Funeral Home, Inc. Chapel. Rev. David Mendenhall will officiate. Burial will follow at the Fairview Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Arrangements by Fairview Funeral Home, Inc.

Orpah May (Wedel) Horner was born on the farm on September 12, 1916 near Cimmaron in Gray County, Kansas to David J. and Glennie (Collins) Wedel and died November 4, 2008 at the Fairview Fellowship Home in Fairview, Oklahoma.

When Orpah was an infant, David became very ill and had a nervous breakdown. Orpah and her sister Lois Evelyn Wedel were sent to Pond Creek, Oklahoma to live with their grandparents, George Wesley Collins and Rosetta (Canaday) Collins while Glennie took care of David. About two years later after David recovered from his illness, Orpah and Lois returned to Fairview to live with their parents. Orpah attended school in Fairview and graduated from high school in 1934. She excelled in geometry and algebra, even winning a countywide contest in geometry. Also she played a violin in the school orchestra. Mr Smith who ran a creamery in Fairview came to the high school looking for someone to work in the office. He asked the school for someone who was good in mathematics. Orpah seemed to fill the need after doing as well as she did in school Mr. Smith told Orpah that if she was not going to college that he would like for her to work for him. However, Orpah took the job offer. Wages were set at $7 per week. Her job was to write checks to pay people for the milk fat they brought to the creamery and to do other bookwork. At the end of the first week, Mr. Smith paid Orpah $10 instead of the $7 because she had done such a good job.

Orpah worked there for a few months until she married Robert "Bob" Horner on St. Patrick's Day in 1935. In 1928 when twelve years old, Orpah went with her family to her grandparents (Collins) in Pond Creek to celebrate Thanksgiving. Farris Atkinson of Enid came to Pond Creek to visit Orpah's older sister, Lois. Farris brought a good buddy of his, Robert Horner. Glennie would not let Lois go out alone riding in a car with two boys so Orpah got to go riding with them too. Twelve year old Orpah and seventeen year old Robert rode in the back seat together. On July 12,1937 they had their first child. Louana May Horner. When the war started Bob went to served in the Navy. Orpah got a job in the County Treasurer's office and the County Clerk's office for a few months and later she worked at the TG&Y store. A few months later Bob returned from the war returning to Fairview. Bob & Orpah purchased the Wedel Lumber Co and changed the name to the Fairview Lumber Company. Orpah worked at the lumber company keeping their books. January 1, 1947 they had their second child, Richard Lee Horner. In 1978 he sold the company to his nephew Marjoe Grim and his wife Kathy and Orpah and Bob retired.

After retiring, Orpah's interest in painting blossomed. She spent countless hours at the easel working on her favorite subjects of trees and other natural scenes. She also served as a volunteer at the Fairview Hospital. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Fairview until her declining health. Bob passed away in September 2000 and not long after Orpah left their beautiful home and moved to the Fairview Fellowship Home where she remained until her passing on election day, November 4th.

Orpah is survived by one daughter Louana "Lou" Horner of Houston, Texas;one son Richard "Dick" Horner of Fairfax, Virginia, and two grandsons; Jonathan and Nicholas Horner of Virginia.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob and one sister.

Memorials may be made through the Fairview Funeral Home to the Fairview Hospital Foundation, or of choice.

Condolences may be made online at www.fairviewfuneralhomeinc.com .