Opal Wilcox Barron was First Lady

First Lady

First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...

 of West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

 from 1961 to 1965. She was born in Boyer, West Virginia

Boyer, West Virginia

Boyer is an unincorporated community in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. Boyer is located on West Virginia Route 28 and West Virginia Route 92 south-southeast of Durbin. The First Lady of West Virginia, Opal Wilcox Barron was born here on 19 September 1914....

.

She married William Wallace Barron

William Wallace Barron

William Wallace "Wally" Barron was a Democratic machine politician in West Virginia. He was the state's 26th Governor from 1961 to 1965. He later served a prison term due to his corrupt actions....

 on February 15, 1936 in Amherst, Virginia

Amherst, Virginia

Amherst is a town in Amherst County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,251 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Amherst County.Amherst is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

. William Barron held several offices in state government before finally serving as Governor of West Virginia from 1961-65, during which time Opal Barron served as First Lady, promoting the state's centennial celebration and persuading her husband to initiate a campaign to conserve the forests and beautify the state.

In 1962, in the heat of the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, she appeared on television to inform West Virginians how to equip and supply a fallout shelter

Fallout shelter

A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designed to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War....

. The entire family also participated in the Sabin vaccine program to prevent polio. After leaving office, Opal and William lived in Pompano Beach, Florida

Pompano Beach, Florida

Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...

 and Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

.

Following her husband's death, she lived in Greenville, South Carolina

Greenville, South Carolina

-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...

, where she died on September 11, 2010, shortly before her 96th birthday, following a period of declining health.