KIRKWOOD, Mo. — Happy birthday to Opal!
Opal Otis, also known as ‘Opie’ turned 107 years old on Oct. 14.
Opie has lived in the St. Louis area most of her life and currently lives at Bethesda Gardens in Kirkwood.
On Oct. 17, Bethesda Garden held a party for her!
When she was 20 years old, she ran her own beauty shop with her mom. Up until just a few years ago, Opie taught people to dance. She’s shared her love of dance with thousands. Opie has even taught the residents at Bethesda to line dance.
For more than four decades, Opie and her husband danced and taught others the varieties of their craft, including square dance and rounds, ballroom, fox trot, swing, tango and country-western styles. Their students performed at a wide range of venues: charity balls, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and even ocean cruises.
Opal also organized and directed two special Girl Scout dance performances—one at Busch Stadium and the other at the old Arena. Both performances involved months of practice with scouts from troops across the region.
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