MUSCATINE, Iowa - Alfred D. Oppelt, 83, of 3241 Mulberry Ave., died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2003.

Funeral Mass will be at the St. Mary's Catholic Church. The Rev. Walter B. Helms will officiate. Pallbearers will be Nicholas Ratcliff, William Nus, Nee Leau, Jim Weigand Sr., Mark Johnston, Loren Backhaus, and Frank Newton Jr. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be at the Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home with a Rosary Prayer Service at the funeral home by the Knights of Columbus. Memorials may be made to the Ss. Mary and Mathias Parish.

Mr. Oppelt was born on Aug. 23, 1919, in Muscatine, the son of Clarence John and Coral Ann Crippen Oppelt. He married Shirley Miller on Oct. 28, 1951, at the St. Mary's Catholic Church in Muscatine.

He was a graduate of St. Mary's High School in 1936, and attended Muscatine Junior College.

He was a US Army veteran of World War II, serving four years in South Pacific.

He was a member of the VFW Post #1565, American Legion Post #27, the Elks Club #304, St. Mary's Catholic Church, the Third Degree Knights of Columbus of Muscatine, the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus of Davenport. He served as the Fourth Degrees Faithful Navigator and was the Commander of the Honor Guard in Eastern Iowa for five year. Al joined Rotary in 1968, receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship Award in 2000. He was an original member and one of the founders of Citizens for Better Government (CBG), which changed and upset politics in Muscatine government for several years. He was also a charter member and served on the Board of Directors of the 'Young Men's Bureau' whose name later changed to the 'Junior Chamber of Commerce'. He was also a member of the Muscatine Chamber of Commerce until his retirement in 1983. Al also served on the Iowa State Special Olympics Board of Directors from 1990 to 1996.

He and his brother formed Oppelt Electric, which they operated from 1946 until 1964. In 1965, he formed Holly Electric, retiring in 1983. He had been a member of the IBEW since 1946, and is a former member of the National Electrical Contractor Association.

Mr. Oppelt is survived by his wife, Shirley Oppelt of Muscatine; one daughter, Holly B. Oppelt and her fiance, Greg Johnston, of Muscatine.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, William J. Oppelt in 1983.