Ray Gerald Opseth

Ray Opseth, of Duluth and formerly of Montevideo and Madison, died on Saturday, May 6, 2006 in Duluth, MN at the age of 89.

Memorial Services will be conducted on Friday, May 12, 2006 at 1:30 PM at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Montevideo, MN with Pastor Mark Opseth officiating. Interment will be in the Mandt Lutheran Cemetery in rural Montevideo.  Visitation will be on Thursday, May 11 from 5 - 7 PM at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo.

Ray Gerald Opseth was born on February 5, 1917 to Hans and Alma (Quale) Opseth on their 160-acre Beltrami County tree-claim near Solway, MN. He was baptized in Solway and while still a toddler, Ray's family returned to their home town of Madison, MN in Lac qui Parle County.  Ray was confirmed at Ness Lutheran Church in Madison, and received his education in Madison's public schools, graduating from Madison High School. He grew up playing trumpet in the High School and city bands, washing soda bottles in the Roth Pop Factory in Madison, delivering newspapers, identifying birds, and learning the carpentry trade from his father.

After attending St. Olaf College for a year, Ray joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1939, serving for the duration of World War II. He received an Honorable Discharge as a Sergeant Major.  On November 9, 1947 he was united in marriage to Pearl Gilbertson at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo.  They met at Zaiser's Dairy in downtown Montevideo where they both worked.  Following their marriage, Ray joined in partnership with brother-in-law Reuben Gilbertson, and father-in-law Joseph Gilbertson to start Montevideo's first bus company.  In 1956 and 1957 Ray worked on the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway Locks as a foreman of a crew of carpenters building forms for the concrete pours.  He was proud of his perfect safety record of no injuries or deaths in his crew on this very dangerous work.  Ray and Pearl had two children, Steve and Arlyce, by the time they moved to make their home in south Minneapolis for the next 28 years. Ray worked as a mail clerk for the U.S. Postal Service at the downtown Main Post Office building from 1959 to his retirement in 1980, enduring two decades of night shifts and routine mandatory overtime.  Ray loved being in his backyard, feeling the sun, tinkering in the garage, and arguing politics.  Ray particularly enjoyed his cars, like his 1965 Mustang and his 1955 Metropolitan Nash.  But, mostly, he loved his big, smooth-riding, Lincoln Continentals.  In 1987 Pearl and Ray moved to Lake Washington near Dassel, MN, where he enjoyed motoring their pontoon boat and driving his old pickup truck.  After six years of lake life, they moved to Duluth where he lived for the remainder of his years, currently residing at the Benedictine Health Care center in Duluth.

He is survived by his two children: Steve Opseth and his wife Lois of Duluth, MN, and Arlyce St. Cyr and her husband Scott of Champlin, MN; four grandchildren: Sarah Opseth of Minneapolis, MN, Laura and Annie Opseth of Duluth, MN and Hannah St. Cyr of Champlion, MN; two brothers: Stanley Opseth of Hastings, MN and Donald Opseth of Hayfield, MN; a  sister Ardie Bray of River Falls, WI; as well as by a number of nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife, Pearl in 2005; and a brother Harlen, who died from pneumonia at the age of six.