Opal Patterson was the first born of Frank and Minnie Lee Todd Patterson, in what folks at that time were calling West Texas. She grew up there and lived with her parents, Frank was a blacksmith, and a hard working Christian man, who loved not only his own children, but also took in his sister and brother-in-law's children when she died at a very young age. Opal met and married Victor Lee Gordon in 1930, when she was only 16, but they were very happy and a year later their first son, Billy Leroy Gordon, was born there in her Father's home. There were but very few hospitals at that time, and if there were, most people could not have afforded to go there just for a child to be born. So three years later their second son, Clifton Harold Gordon was born. Opal was a devoted and loving Mother, who doted on her little boys, while being an excellent cook, an expert seamstress, she made all their clothes, along with piecing and stitching many beautiful quilts. She taught herself to crotchet, which was hard because she was left handed, and the books descriptions were for using the right hand, but of course she mastered that too. Then after some time their family moved to New Mexico where they built their own house, even covered the outside with native sand rocks. Then they had their third son, Freddie Wayne Gordon and lived in Texas for many years, First in San Angelo, then in Garland. She lost her husband of 67 years, and left her home there in Garland to live with her son Cliff and his wife, Jean, where she spent the rest of her days. She was survived by her sons, Leroy (Sandy) Cliff (Jean) and Fred (Karen). Sisters, Frankie Aplin, ,Hollie and Peepsie Lankford, grandchildren, Mike, Vickie, Clifton Wayne, Kathy, Kelly, Kirkland, Shawn; ten Great-grandchildren, and five Great-great-grandchildren.