Opal Ayers Crook

opal crook
Opal Ayers Crook, 94, of 10 Deaver Drive, Asheville, died Monday, November 24, 2003, at the Hospice Solace Center. Mrs. Crook was born in Yancey County and was a daughter of the late Christopher Columbus and Julia Webb Ayers. She was married to Carl Lee Crook who died in 1984, and was also preceded in death by five brothers, Luther, Edison, Bill, Clell and Ford Ayers and three sisters, Myrtle Canipe, Carrie Tilley and Birdie Rice. Known as “Mother Crook”, she was the oldest member of Deaverview Baptist Church. She attended Draughon’s Business School and formerly worked at the NuWray Inn in Burnsville and after that at American Enka where she was on their girls’ basketball team. She is survived by five daughters, Myra Lee Ramsey of Asheville, Julia Anne Willis and her husband Edward of Candler, Joyce Morgan and her husband Dale of Leicester, Jenny Lee Crook of Asheville and Susan Allman and her husband Joe of Weaverville; one son Leonard Carl Crook and his wife Veronica of Candler; a sister, Irene Roberson of Elizabethton, TN; a sister-in-law Ruth C. Smith; seven grandchildren, Sandra Pena, Mechelle Kobar, Tina Campen, Steven Lance, Randall Lance, Shannon Morgan, and Lynn Crook and nine great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 1:00 pm Wednesday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Rev. Jack W. Collins officiating. Burial will be at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be grandsons Steven Lance, Randall Lance, Shannon Morgan and Lynn Crook, as well as Roger Radcliff, Calvin Dixon, David Warren and David King. Honorary pallbearers will be Michael Patton, John Kobar, Mike Campen, Jim Pena, Leonard Smith, and John Shelton. Her family will receive friends from 7:00 - 8:30 pm Tuesday at the funeral home and request that memorials be made to Mountain Area Hospice, PO Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28813.

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  1. Hello,
    I Know we will all miss Mother Crook. I know I will. I loved her very much. So did my father and we still do. But you have to think, she is a better place. She is more than likely looking down on all of us right know.I bet she is very proud of us. She was wonderful person. To me she was the best great-grandmother god could have ever given me, and im very thankful to say I am her great-granddaughter. I can say she is always in my heart. I will never foreget her.
    With Bunches Of-
    Love Tiffany Reece

  2. Hello,
    I Know we will all miss Mother Crook. I know I will. I loved her very much. So did my father and we still do. But you have to think, she is a better place. She is more than likely looking down on all of us right know.I bet she is very proud of us. She was wonderful person. To me she was the best great-grandmother god could have ever given me, and im very thankful to say I am her great-granddaughter. I can say she is always in my heart. I will never foreget her.
    With Bunches Of-
    Love Tiffany Reece

  3. When I think of Opal I cant help but go back in time to my childhood where she was so much apart of my family and I. Even though she had six kids of her own she always had time for all of us. As I have lived away from Asheville for years I had the privilege of having coffee with her and my mother in October. She was simply a bundle of joy and we got to talk about old times. ‘ I sure wish sometimes we could go back’.My heart goes out to her family as I can empathise with there loss. I loved her as a second mother and will certianly miss her. She was not only a wonderfull person but a precious lady to many. I LOVE YOU

    Brenda

  4. What a remarkable woman! I have known Opal since I was a little girl, she and my Mother were best friends and we all lived in the same community.I can remember eating cherries out of her cherry trees. I have lived away from Asheville for 24 years and have not kept in touch as I should but I was able to visit with her last year at another friend’s birthday. She always amazed me at how young she looked. She was a wonderful friend to my Mother for years and she will miss her deeply. My sympathy is with the family at this time of sorrow. I hope they can find comfort in knowing that she was loved by many and will be missed by all.

  5. Mother Crook was the sweetest grandmother anyone could ever have. She was the kind of Grandmother everyone always wanted. She was more than a Grandmother, she was a best-friend, a confidant and the light of our lives. I don’t know how we will ever get by without her but we will do as best we can and try to live by her wonderful example. There was nothing you couldn’t love about this woman and I hope I can live by her example and be the kind of person she was. She never judged. She had the most wonderful unconditional love anyone could ever wish for and she shared that with one and all. I will always honor and cherish her memory and try to make her proud. It’s sad that she is no longer with us but I will always be grateful for everything she has taught me and now I know for sure I have an ANGEL watching over me and my family forever and ever. She will be so dearly missed but we know she is dancing in heaven and happy with Daddy Crook. We love you, Mike, Tina and Brittany

  6. I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your Mother. My mother, Margaret Russell,and grandmother, Eva Masters, thought the world of her.
    She was a wonderful person to them and I am sure she will be greatly missed.

  7. Mrs. Crook was a stong, loving, determined, woman who I know used these qualities well as a wife, mother, and grandmother. She reminded me of my own mother. My most sincere condolences to the family. R.L.Smith, MD

  8. We are so so sorry to learn about your mother. She was a dear dear friend to Janie.

    God bless you all!

    Sincerely, George and Gerry Earle

  9. Myra & Family:
    Our deepest sympathy goes out to you and your family. May God Bless you all.
    Love, Randy & Jane Erwin

  10. Everytime I have seen Mother Crook she always had a huge smile on her face and she always told everyone how lovely they looked. I wish I could live my life as happily as she did, no matter if she was in pain, or not feeling good, she always had that beautiful smile on her face she will be missed by all. Our Love to you and your Family,
    Chris,Amy,and Ashlynn Dillingham

  11. Myra, Joyce and family,
    I am so sorry for the loss of your mother. My mother passed away in Sept and I know how hard it was to give her up. But take heart, she is in heaven with your father and reaping all the glories from her Heavenly Father. And you will see them both again eventually. I will keep your family in my prayers. Donna Lefler

  12. You had your mom for a very long time.I know you will really miss her. May God give you comfort.

    Love and prayers,
    Jean and family

  13. Our thoughts are with all of Opal’s family. We know you are proud of her long and fruitful life.
    With our utmost sympathy,
    Richard and Vera

  14. Vernon,
    Our thoughts and prayers are with your during this time.

    Asheville Savings Bank Sale Finance Department

    Douglas Jones, Mark Splawn, Catherine Roberts and Cindy Williams

  15. Veronica and Leonard,
    Our thoughts and prayers are with your during this time of loss.

    Asheville Savings Bank Sales Finance Department

    Douglas Jones, Mark Splawn, Catherine Roberts and Cindy Williams

  16. Jenny:

    I am so sorry to hear about your Mom. I pray that God will lift your spirits through an outpouring of support from friends and loved ones during your family’s time of mourning. I miss your smiling face, and will keep you in my prayers always.

    Love, Teresa

  17. My Mother, Henrietta Lunsford, was so sorry to hear of Opal’s death on Monday – she was a dear friend to my Mother. Since Mother moved to Charleston, Maude King kept Mother informed about all her Asheville friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.

  18. Dear Jenny,

    I was terribly sadden to hear about your mothers’ passing and can only imagine the heartache you and your family are feeling right. I pray you find peace in the realization that her soul is now in a wonderful place.

    Seek comfort in all the wonderful, loving memories you have of your mother.

    I’m sorry I found out too late to call you earlier today, but I am grateful that Marsha thought to let me know!

    Your old friend,
    Sharon

  19. Leonard, Veronica, Lynn and family, Sorry for the loss of Your Mother. I was not aware of it in time to call you but have been thinking of You and please know You are in my prayers. mickey

  20. Dear Leonard, Veronica and Family,
    Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this sad time. Your Mother had a wonderful long life, and now she is in Heaven with your Dad. What a grand reunion that must have been. We love you guys!

  21. Opal and I have been best friends for a long time/our children grew up together and went to school together.We could always talk about our personal problems. I talk to her regular on the phone and went to visit her often.I know time will help heal the feeling I am feeling now and the empty space in my life. I will always have many wonderful memories of her a person who was cherised by so many. I will really miss her .The last thing she said to be was I love you and I loved her. May God bless each one of her family and keep in touch.


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