Thelma Petersen
November 6, 1909 — April 22, 2009
Thelma Beatrice Petersen, daughter of Hans J. and Katie (Erickson) Petersen, was born on November 6, 1909, in Polk Township in Shelby County, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at the Norwegian Lutheran Church which was later moved to Irwin and was renamed St. Paul�s Lutheran Church. Thelma was an active member of the church where she served on the visiting committee and held numerous church offices. She remained a lifelong member of St. Paul�s Lutheran Church.
Thelma attended Danway Country School and later graduated from Kirkman High School in Kirkman, Iowa. She continued her education at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where she studied home economics. Due to the depression, Thelma left Iowa State University and returned home to help her family on the farm and to take care of her parents with her brother, Archie.
Sunday dinners were an important tradition to the Petersen family and Thelma continued that tradition for many years.
Thelma was an active leader with 4-H and the Iowa State Extension in Shelby County. She enjoyed spending time outside with her flowers and even sent some to the Shelby County Fair for many years. Thelma was also very involved with her garden club and the historical society. She was also active in the community beautification of the fair grounds and the Slate Arboretum and made several charitable donations to area institutions including the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa, and the Okoboji Lutheran Church Camp in Okoboji, Iowa.
Thelma also kept a daily journal for over sixty years that talked about her activities and any visitors that stopped by the farm. She donated her journal to the women�s archives at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.
Thelma continued to live on the family farm until 1993, when she moved into Harlan. In 2004, Thelma became a resident at the Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn. It was there that she died on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, having attained the age of ninety-nine years, five months, and sixteen days. She is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings: Wilmer, Myrtle, Vern, Ruby, Archie, Marjorie, and Victor.
She is survived by her sister-in-law Lola Petersen of Louisville, Nebraska; her nieces and nephews: H. Rand Petersen and his wife Mary Louise; Richard Ferry and his wife Julienne all of Harlan, Iowa; Donald Ferry and his wife Jean; Patricia and her husband Peter Steenhussen all of Irwin, Iowa; Betty Ann and her husband Don Zemanek of Cincinnati, Ohio; Jannie and her husband Tom Ramsey of Riverton, Iowa; Jesse and her husband Tom Karl of Louden, Tennessee; Stephen Scheetz and his wife Suzanne of Arlington Heights, Illinois; Astrid and her husband Ben Martindale of Wadsworth, Illinois; Tom Petersen and his wife Sandy of Indianola, Iowa; Scott Petersen of West Des Moines, Iowa; Sally Petersen and her husband John Clark of Greeley, Colorado; many great nieces and nephews; other family members and many friends.
Funeral Services were held on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at St. Paul�s Lutheran Church in Irwin, Iowa. Pastor Ron Rasmussen officiated the 1:30 PM service. Interment was held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Kirkman, Iowa, with Don Ferry, Peter Steenhusen, Brandt Ferry, Stephen Scheetz, H. Rand Petersen, and Tom Petersen serving as casket bearers.
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Thelma attended Danway Country School and later graduated from Kirkman High School in Kirkman, Iowa. She continued her education at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where she studied home economics. Due to the depression, Thelma left Iowa State University and returned home to help her family on the farm and to take care of her parents with her brother, Archie.
Sunday dinners were an important tradition to the Petersen family and Thelma continued that tradition for many years.
Thelma was an active leader with 4-H and the Iowa State Extension in Shelby County. She enjoyed spending time outside with her flowers and even sent some to the Shelby County Fair for many years. Thelma was also very involved with her garden club and the historical society. She was also active in the community beautification of the fair grounds and the Slate Arboretum and made several charitable donations to area institutions including the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa, and the Okoboji Lutheran Church Camp in Okoboji, Iowa.
Thelma also kept a daily journal for over sixty years that talked about her activities and any visitors that stopped by the farm. She donated her journal to the women�s archives at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.
Thelma continued to live on the family farm until 1993, when she moved into Harlan. In 2004, Thelma became a resident at the Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn. It was there that she died on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, having attained the age of ninety-nine years, five months, and sixteen days. She is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings: Wilmer, Myrtle, Vern, Ruby, Archie, Marjorie, and Victor.
She is survived by her sister-in-law Lola Petersen of Louisville, Nebraska; her nieces and nephews: H. Rand Petersen and his wife Mary Louise; Richard Ferry and his wife Julienne all of Harlan, Iowa; Donald Ferry and his wife Jean; Patricia and her husband Peter Steenhussen all of Irwin, Iowa; Betty Ann and her husband Don Zemanek of Cincinnati, Ohio; Jannie and her husband Tom Ramsey of Riverton, Iowa; Jesse and her husband Tom Karl of Louden, Tennessee; Stephen Scheetz and his wife Suzanne of Arlington Heights, Illinois; Astrid and her husband Ben Martindale of Wadsworth, Illinois; Tom Petersen and his wife Sandy of Indianola, Iowa; Scott Petersen of West Des Moines, Iowa; Sally Petersen and her husband John Clark of Greeley, Colorado; many great nieces and nephews; other family members and many friends.
Funeral Services were held on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at St. Paul�s Lutheran Church in Irwin, Iowa. Pastor Ron Rasmussen officiated the 1:30 PM service. Interment was held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Kirkman, Iowa, with Don Ferry, Peter Steenhusen, Brandt Ferry, Stephen Scheetz, H. Rand Petersen, and Tom Petersen serving as casket bearers.
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