It is with sorrow and gratitude that we mark the passing of Peter John Fischer of Beardsley, MN — sorrow at the loss, gratitude for the life.
These pages are a small offering toward a much larger life.
What remains is what was loved.
Pete Fischer, age 66, of Beardsley, Minnesota passed away Sunday, May 3, 2026 at Sanford Wheaton Hospital.A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. with a 3:00 p.m. Time of Sharing at the Merton Dale American Legion Post #80 in Wheaton, Minnesota. Lunch will be served from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.Burial will be in Wildwood Cemetery, Wheaton, at a later date. Pete was born on September 19, 1959 in Wheaton, Minnesota to Joe and Elwina Fischer of Dumont, Minnesota, the youngest of five children. He had a happy childhood running through Dumont with neighborhood kids, getting into mischief. He started school at St. Peter Catholic School. He said the nuns liked him and didn’t whack him with their rulers! When the school closed the Fischer kids transferred to Wheaton Public School. Pete started working early in life with a newspaper route, mowing lawns and sweeping out his dad’s repair shop, saving up for a new bicycle. As he learned the mechanic trade from his dad, he began tinkering with cars.After Pete graduated in 1978, he began turning wrenches in Wheaton; working for the Co-Op, the Chevrolet dealership and Ron’s Diesel. He tried working in other states, but Dumont kept drawing him back. In 1984 he opened Pete’s Repair working alongside his dad.In 1990 Pete and Roxy met at the wedding of their mutual friends, Doug and Linda Olson. Two years later they met again while Roxy was home from Tucson, AZ for her 20th Class Reunion in Graceville, MN. A long-distance romance followed – Pete proposed over the telephone because he couldn’t afford the long-distance charges! They were married July 24, 1993 at the City Park in Wheaton.Pete’s business grew and Roxy found work at Gazette Publishing. Together they restored their home and yard. They went traveling, boating and fishing, on casino trips, to festivals and camping.Pete was generous with car advice to anyone who asked. He could talk for hours with other motor-heads. He loved ice fishing and had several houses. He went deer and pheasant hunting in his younger years.As Pete approached fifty years, their lives changed when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. After surgery at Mayo Clinic, he remained cancer free for another ten years. When his cancer returned, he began treatment at Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, ND. He often complained of his discomfort and side effects, but never once asked “why me?” He died May 3, 2026 on his dad’s birthday.Pete will be missed by family, friends and most of all, his wife Roxy. He was special guy, who loved life, and knew how to make the most out of what time he had while he was here. He will be remembered for his kindness and ability to fix almost anything.Pete was preceded in death by his parents: Joe and Elwina Fischer; parents-in-law Harvey and Norma Damerow; brother Steve Fischer; sister Debbie Mohn; brothers-in-law: Chuck and Ken Damerow; and sisters-in-law: Jean (Odden) Damerow and Marge (Kutzler) Damerow.Pete is survived by his wife Roxanne Fischer of Beardsley, Minnesota; brothers: Jim (Julie) Fischer of Fergus Falls, Minnesota; and Jerry (Brenda) Fischer of Rosholt, South Dakota; sister-in-law Rhonda Damerow of Garfield, Minnesota; aunts and uncle: Harry (Lynette) Fischer and Martha Fischer both of Graceville, Minnesota; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
