Opal Eleanor Jensen of Billings and formerly of the Benrude Community of North Wolf Point passed away on March 14, 2011, at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Billings at 91 years of age following a brief illness.
She was born in Fergus Falls, Minn., on Nov. 11, 1919. Opal was the daughter of Ben and Aletta Spencer and grew up on the family farm. She attended Boyd School before attending high school in Wolf Point, graduating in 1936. Opal and her lifelong friend Marjorie Zimmerman Bach then attended Northern Montana College and a summer at the University of Montana in Missoula where Opal received a lifetime teaching certificate.
She taught at Pershing School, at Hammond School near Froid and in Wolf Point during World War II. While teaching in the Froid area, she met Howard Jensen from McCabe whom she would marry in June of 1946. Soon after they were married, they moved to the family farm where Howard and Opal raised one son and two daughters along with Hereford cattle, a few horses and a little bit of wheat, barley and oats if the weather cooperated.
After farming for nearly 40 years, Opal and Howard retired and made their home in Billings.
Opal was a full-time housewife and mother, and she gave unlimited devotion to her husband and to her children. She was also a member of First Lutheran Church in Wolf Point and of the local Ladies Aide, and an occasional donator to the Republican Party. Opal always had the coffee pot on, and she and Howard always liked it when neighbors would drop in for a visit.
Opal loved animals and always kept a couple of cats and a dog. As a hobby she maintained a family journal since 1960, and she liked to reminisce about the past. Opal was very proud of her granddaughters and their accomplishments.
Opal was preceded in death by her parents, Ben and Aletta Spencer, and by her husband Howard (1996). She is survived by her son, Keith (Lois) of Missoula, daughter Kathy of Cut Bank, daughter Enid of Billings, and by granddaughters Melissa Klimkiewicz (Steve), of Falls Church, Va., Colleen Jensen of Chicago, Ill., Melanie Jensen of Bozeman and by one great-grandson, Jensen Thomas Klimkiewicz of Falls Church.
Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Friday, March 18 at the Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19 with visitation one hour before at the First Lutheran Church in Wolf Point. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery. In honor of Opal, if possible please wear something blue.
Memorials may be given in Opal’s name to First Lutheran Church of Wolf Point, Faith Lutheran Home, the Wolf Point 100 Club or to a charity of your choice.