Opal J. Fisher, age 95, of Monticello, former longtime resident of Annandale, died Thursday, July 9, 2026, at the St. Cloud Hospital.
Memorial Services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, July 20, 2026, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Annandale, with Rev. Alex Becker officiating. Burial will follow at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, with a 5:30 p.m. prayer service at Dingmann Funeral Care Chapel, Annandale. Additional visitation one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church.
Opal Junae Mathsen was born on May 30, 1931, in Alvarado, Minn., to Albin and Hilda (Hendrickson) Mathsen. Raised on the family farm just outside of Alvarado, Opal graduated from Alvarado High School before attending Concordia College in Moorhead, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in music. Her journey in education began in Warren, Minn., where she taught choir and grade school music. It was here that she would meet her lifelong partner, Charles Fisher, whom she married on August 21, 1955, at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Warren.
The couple made their home in Newfolden following their marriage, where Opal continued to inspire young minds through her teaching. Her career later took her to Clarkfield Schools and then to the role of a full-time piano instructor. They moved to Annandale when Charles became the principal at Annandale High School, and together they cultivated a warm and loving home.
Opal was active in her community with the Annandale Improvement Club. She was a faithful servant as a lifetime member of the Lutheran Church, having grown up in Kongsvinger Lutheran Church in rural Alvarado. For 58 years, she was an integral part of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Annandale, in addition to other congregations over the years. In all the congregations that she belonged, Opal contributed as choir director and organist. Her love for music was not just a profession, but a passion and an expression of her faith.
In addition to her musical talents, Opal was a fabulous cook and baker, turning holiday gatherings into feasts filled with love and laughter. She had a green thumb and enjoyed nurturing her garden. She was an ambitious walker, having the goal to walk around Pleasant Lake every month of the year. Opal was an avid traveler and a voracious reader, always eager to learn and experience the world around her. Yet, above all, her family was her greatest treasure.
Opal is survived by her children, John (Susan) of Minneapolis, Steven (Terry) of Bemidji, Thomas (Lori) of Raleigh, N.C., and Brian (Jamie) of Monticello; seven grandchildren, Sasha Hulsey (Brian Vlasenko), Luke Hulsey, Jessica (Trevor) Daniels, Jacob (Meghan) Fisher, Heidi (Adam) Caputo, Kate Fisher and Ben Fisher; six great-grandchildren, Stone, Calvin and Roger Caputo, Delilah Daniels, and Lucy and Simeon Fisher; half-sister, Susan Beving of Warren; and nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Charles; and siblings, Benneth and Almore Mathsen, Helen Raymer, and Evelyn Hass.
Opal’s grandchildren will serve as urn bearers. Arrangements are entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Annandale.
Obituary, Guestbook, Video Tribute, and Service Webcast are online at www.dingmannfuneral.com.