Bernice E. Petersen

BERNICE ELAINE PETERSON was born to Norman and Beatrice (Schellenberg) Feltz on August 20, 1925 on a farm in Howard County, near Cresco, Iowa where she was raised and attended school. In 1939, she moved with her parents to Backus, Minnesota where she continued attending school. Upon completion of her education, she worked at a tuberculosis home in Walker, Minnesota. One year later, she moved to Charles City, Iowa with her parents. After she helped them for six months, she moved to Park Rapids, Minnesota and did housework for others. She was united in marriage to Virgil Petersen on February 13, 1946 in Park Rapids. Following their marriage, they lived in Fairfield, California, and Bernice worked at a textile plant. After Virgil’s discharge in 1947, they lived in several areas of Minnesota. Then, in 1950, they moved to Pipestone, Minnesota, and in 1952, they moved to Rockford, Iowa. They returned to Pipestone in 1958, and Bernice helped clean homes for several residents in Pipestone. She continued doing this until her retirement in 1992. In 2008, Bernice became a resident of the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she passed away on Saturday, July 6, 2013 at the age of 87 years, 10 months and 16 days.

Bernice was a member of Peace United Methodist Church in Pipestone. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. She loved to walk. She also enjoyed fishing and camping at Lake Mina, near Alexandria, Minnesota. She especially enjoyed helping her neighbors as much as she could.

She is lovingly remembered by her grandson, Jeff Hansen and his wife Becky of Lake Wilson, Minnesota; three sisters, Beverly Sorensen and her husband Bert of Grand Meadow, Minnesota, Patricia Lynch and her husband Gaylan of Charles City, Iowa, and Sharon Belharz and her husband Richard of Lomo, Montana; and one brother, Duane Feltz and his wife JoAnn of Allison, Iowa; and her son-in-law, Tom Hansen of Lake Wilson, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil; her son, Gerald Dean Petersen; one daughter, Pamela Mae Hansen; one sister, Lorraine Ritter; and four brothers, Harlan Feltz, Stanley Feltz, Vernon Feltz and Kenneth Feltz.