Pearl (Gilbertson) Opseth

Pearl (Gilbertson) Opseth was born to Joseph & Claudine (Olson) Gilbertson on their 120-acre Mandt Township farmstead on August 29, 1921. She was baptized and confirmed in Mandt Lutheran Church and received her education at the one-room, District No. 31 schoolhouse in the middle of rich cropland, a half-mile from her home place. She grew up with horse & sleigh, wood-stove cooking, home-sewn flour-sack dresses, 4-H and pitching softball. In the '30s, Pearl and her sister Kay sang spirituals on the radio from a Monte radio station. Family forever stayed important to Pearl, and her sisters and her brother were her best friends throughout her life.

After spending World War II repairing bombers as a Rosie The Riveter in the Northwest Airlines plant in St. Paul, Pearl met her future husband, Ray, at Zaiser's Dairy in downtown Montevideo where they both worked. Pearl became the mother of two children, Steve and Arlyce, by the time she and her family moved to make their home in south Minneapolis for the next 28 years. Pearl lived for her family, but she also taught Sunday School, managed the Mpls. Park Board's Nicollet Tennis Center from 1963 to 1974, and worked in the business offices of Sears & Roebuck's Lake Street store from 1971 to 1986. Pearl loved to bake and she made wonderful home-made bread, pies and caramel rolls. She baked tall and lovely cakes for family weddings. And, she loved to cook big family dinners: her favorite was spare ribs, mashed potatoes & gravy, for Christmas; and chicken & dumplings soup for anytime. Pearl loved to play cards, Yahtzee and board games of all types. But mostly, she loved to just simply be around her family. In 1987 Pearl & Ray moved to Lake Washington near Dassel, MN, where Pearl enjoyed fishing and playing old hymns on her home organ. After six years, Pearl & Ray moved to Duluth, where Pearl spent the remainder of her years.

Pearl is survived by her husband Ray, 88, of Duluth; her two children, Steve Opseth and his wife Lois of Duluth, MN, and Arlyce St. Cyr and her husband Scott of Champlin, MN; four grand children: Sarah, Laura & Annie (Opseth) and Hannah (St. Cyr) a brother Reuben Gilbertson, and sisters Katherine Gilbertson and Inez Neiger.

Pearl was preceded in death by her parents, her youngest sister Alice Schuldt, and by an infant sister Pearl (her namesake who died in 1914).

Pearl Opseth left this world to rest her weary heart at 9:32, on the evening of March 4, 2005 at the age of 83. Her family was at her side as she took her last breath and joined her Maker in Heaven.

Funeral services were held Saturday, March 12, 2005 at 1:30 PM at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Pastor Mark Opseth officiating.

Blessed be her memory.