Corrine Petersen

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Corrine L. Petersen, 78
Corrine Petersen, 78, a longtime Stewartville resident, died on Oct. 6, 2008 at Stewartville Care Center, following a lengthy illness. She had been a resident of the care center since July 2005.
Corrine Lauraline Kirchner was born June 18, 1930, in Austin, grew up on the family farm in rural Rose Creek and graduated from Rose Creek High School as valedictorian in 1947. She then received teachers training in Austin and taught rural school in Clayton Township, Mower County. On Oct. 22, 1950, she married Sonke Petersen at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Elkton. The couple farmed in rural Grand Meadow before moving to rural Stewartville, where they farmed for many years.
Corrine was a farmwife and worked part-time as a waitress at the Flame Restaurant in Stewartville and as a part-time substitute teacher in the Stewartville school district before opening and co-owning the Craftique gift shop in Stewartville. She also operated Corrine’s Silk Flowers from her home and was a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church, where she was involved in WELCA, the church choir and Sunday school. Mrs. Petersen was a member of the Stewartville Senior Citizens and volunteered at the Stewartville Care Center, where she was part of the Family Council. She was involved in her children’s 4-H, was a member of the University of Minnesota Extension Service-Home Council, and was chairwoman of the Southeast Minnesota District. She was an active member of Friendly Neighbors, Sunshine Club and other social groups. Music was a passion for her. She enjoyed singing, dancing, gardening, and time spent with her many family members and friends.
Survivors include four daughters, Diane (Ron) Kolberg, Pettibone, N.D., Rosanne (Chuck) Smith, Moore, Okla., Jenny (Tim) Kollasch, Rochester and Judy Fitzmaurice, Barnegat, N.J.; three sons, Thomas (Liane), Chaska, Minn., Duane, Zumbro Falls and Larry, Hayfield; two sisters, Mildred (Willard) Ballantyne, Brownsdale and Alice (Elmer), St. Ansgar, Iowa. Other survivors include 18 grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter, Lauraline.
She was preceded in death by her husband on Jan. 31, 2008; parents, Carl and Ottilie Kroneman (Lembke) Kirchner; sister, Maleta; and a brother, Alvin.
The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Zion Lutheran Church in Stewartville, with the Reverends John Heille and Robert Bergland officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery, Stewartville. Friends may call from 5 – 8 p.m. Sunday at Zion Lutheran Church, and an hour before the service Monday at the church. Griffin-Gray Funeral Home of Stewartville is handling the arrangements.

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