Opal Whiteley Memorial, Cottage Grove OR.

04/15/2026

Well, it’s Springtime again in Oregon! And this year seems to be special because fawn lilies are completely covering our yard outside.
The spirit of Peter Paul Rubens is everywhere as Opal’s “cream lily”. She named it so after the loss of her dear friend, the pig who followed her to school. 🐷🌾

03/13/2026

Can you find Opal in this old school picture?

12/12/2025

Happy 128th Birthday Opal! Her family said she was born in Colton Washington. But Opal claimed it was in the Vatican! Can both stories be true?? Maybe ...

Watch this video "The Guardian Angels of Colton Washington" as I trace the mystery of Opal Whiteley's origins. Also read a transcript of the talk and a link to the slides used.

Recorded Dec 11, 2019 for Opal Whiteley's Birthday Party at the Axe and Fiddle Tavern in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Very sorry for the technical glitches! You ca...

11/28/2025

It’s good to see the many fans that Opal still has around the world. She created a special childhood magic in her love of Nature that people can still relate to.

10/24/2025

Opal on the cover of the University of Oregon’s Alumni magazine 1969.

07/21/2025

Hello. Opal fans! Here is a lovely butterfly known as a “comma”. I’m sure that Opal would have seen one on her “explores” since this butterfly loves woodland areas where Opal lived in Walden, Oregon. This comma stoped for a little drink of water on an upside down pot in my garden.😊❤️

Polygonia c-album, or the “comma”, is a food generalist (polyphagous) butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. The angular notches on the edges of the forewings are characteristic of the genus Polygonia, which is why species in the genus are commonly referred to as anglewing butterflies. Comma butterflies can be identified by their prominent orange and dark brown/black dorsal wings. (Wikipedia)

04/12/2025

I had to share a picture of all the Fawn Lilies that bloomed in our yard this year. Opal would be so very pleased to see the spirit of Peter Paul Rubens everywhere!

10/29/2024

It’s been quite a while since we posted anything about Opal. For the still curious Opal lovers, here are Opal’s parents, Lizzie and Ed Whiteley (“the mama” and “the papa”). Best wishes to everyone in and out of Fairyland. :-)

05/16/2024

University of Oregon freshman class 1917. Can you find Opal?

03/11/2024

This Saturday, March 16th may be my most important talk ever on Opal Whiteley! It’s the 124th anniversary of the printing of her childhood diary by the Atlantic Monthly. But did she write her famous diary when she was a child, or when she was an adult?

- I will show a way Opal’s original childhood diary could have been edited by a trusted insider.
- Did someone behind the scenes manipulate both Opal Whiteley and the publisher?
- For what motive? I will name the suspect of the betrayal that changed Opal’s life forever.

Come to the Cottage Grove Community Center this Saturday at 10 AM and learn about a little known “villain” in the background of Opal Whiteley’s diary. Read more about Opal Whiteley's fascinating story at https://www.storiesbysteve.com/who-was-opal-whiteley/