Lila R. Petersen
December 21, 1926 — September 27, 2010
Lila Ruby Petersen was born on December 21, 1926 to Emil and Amalie (Paesler) Ranniger north of Manning, Iowa, in Carroll County. She attended Manning High School where she graduated with the Class of 1944.
In the summer of 1945, she met Norman Petersen on a blind date. They were married the following year on March 12th at the Lutheran parsonage in Manning, Iowa, by the same pastor who had baptized and confirmed her. Four children were born to this union: Nancy, Richard, Connie, and Donna. They farmed on two different farms before buying the home place from Norman’s Grandpa Asmus Frees.
In 1980, they retired from farming and moved into Irwin. In 1981, Lila began working at the Rose Petal and later that year started at the Irwin Senior Center as a part-time cook. Several years later, she was offered the manager’s position and remained there for many years. Lila truly loved working with the older people and helping them in any way she could.
Lila took great pride in growing produce in her garden to can and freeze. She loved to bake and cook and was always happy to volunteer to bring her famous apple pie or potato salad.
Cooking wonderful meals for family and friends brought her much joy and fulfillment and she was always happiest when she was serving others.
She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Austin Earl Hiatt Post No. 614 in Irwin and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irwin.
After Norman’s death in 2003, she moved into the Westridge apartments in Harlan and from there to Elm Crest Retirement Center in June of 2010. It was there that she died on Monday, September 27, 2010, having attained the age of eighty-three years, nine months, and six days. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her daughter, Nancy; her granddaughter Sara; brother Elroy and his wife Clara and sister Velma and her husband Vernon.
She is survived by her daughters Connie and her husband Randy Davis of Harlan, Iowa and Donna and her husband Lorren Hollister of Council Bluffs, Iowa; son Richard Petersen and his wife Pam of Aurelia, Iowa; nine grandchildren: Cora, Cati, Gabe, Bryce, Bryan, Chris, Eric, Melissa and her husband Tony, and Sandra and her husband Lee, four great-grandchildren: Caden, Alyssa, Cayden, and Laci; sisters-in-law Elsie Myers of Harlan and Charlotte Aten of Council Bluffs, Iowa; brother-in-law John Caffery of Council Bluffs; other family members and friends.
Pastor Roy North conducted the 10:00 AM funeral service at Pauley Jones Funeral Home on Thursday, September 30, 2010. Serving as casket bearers were Cyrus Monson, Eugene Monson, LeRoy Heese, Don Ferry, Gene Frees, and Mike Fara. Interment was held at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Irwin, Iowa.
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In the summer of 1945, she met Norman Petersen on a blind date. They were married the following year on March 12th at the Lutheran parsonage in Manning, Iowa, by the same pastor who had baptized and confirmed her. Four children were born to this union: Nancy, Richard, Connie, and Donna. They farmed on two different farms before buying the home place from Norman’s Grandpa Asmus Frees.
In 1980, they retired from farming and moved into Irwin. In 1981, Lila began working at the Rose Petal and later that year started at the Irwin Senior Center as a part-time cook. Several years later, she was offered the manager’s position and remained there for many years. Lila truly loved working with the older people and helping them in any way she could.
Lila took great pride in growing produce in her garden to can and freeze. She loved to bake and cook and was always happy to volunteer to bring her famous apple pie or potato salad.
Cooking wonderful meals for family and friends brought her much joy and fulfillment and she was always happiest when she was serving others.
She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Austin Earl Hiatt Post No. 614 in Irwin and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irwin.
After Norman’s death in 2003, she moved into the Westridge apartments in Harlan and from there to Elm Crest Retirement Center in June of 2010. It was there that she died on Monday, September 27, 2010, having attained the age of eighty-three years, nine months, and six days. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her daughter, Nancy; her granddaughter Sara; brother Elroy and his wife Clara and sister Velma and her husband Vernon.
She is survived by her daughters Connie and her husband Randy Davis of Harlan, Iowa and Donna and her husband Lorren Hollister of Council Bluffs, Iowa; son Richard Petersen and his wife Pam of Aurelia, Iowa; nine grandchildren: Cora, Cati, Gabe, Bryce, Bryan, Chris, Eric, Melissa and her husband Tony, and Sandra and her husband Lee, four great-grandchildren: Caden, Alyssa, Cayden, and Laci; sisters-in-law Elsie Myers of Harlan and Charlotte Aten of Council Bluffs, Iowa; brother-in-law John Caffery of Council Bluffs; other family members and friends.
Pastor Roy North conducted the 10:00 AM funeral service at Pauley Jones Funeral Home on Thursday, September 30, 2010. Serving as casket bearers were Cyrus Monson, Eugene Monson, LeRoy Heese, Don Ferry, Gene Frees, and Mike Fara. Interment was held at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Irwin, Iowa.
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