Marjorie Peterson, 92

Published 10:15 am Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Marjorie Peterson, 92, surrounded by her loving family and friends, died peacefully at the Tidewell Hospice in Palmetto, Florida on March 15 after a short illness.

Marjorie Peterson

Marge, the only child of Janetta and Walter Klann, was born in Hayfield, Minn., on Jan. 17, 1921. When Marge was an infant, Walter traveled to his family home in Germany to settle business matters and was unable to return to the U.S. Marjorie’s great-uncle, Thor Bjaastad and Thor’s daughter, Ida Bjaastad, offered their home to Janetta and Marjorie, who happily participated in raising Marjorie.

After attending business school in Mankato, Minn., Marge married Norman Peterson of Blooming Prairie. As a young woman, Marge was a busy working mother. She spent long hours in her husband’s business while bringing up their two children, Jim and Joan.

In her teenage years, Marge aspired to be a singer and sang solos at weddings and funerals. After her marriage, she taught voice lessons and led the children’s choir at First Lutheran Church. She was a mentor to many young people, caring deeply for each of them and enthusiastically introducing them to the joys and wonders of music.

Marge was an active member of the Blooming Prairie community and a generous benefactor to the music program at First Lutheran. Since the 1970s her annual sale of fern leaf peonies provided funds to many local charities. The last year of her annual sale was 2004, due to her move to Parrish, Fla. When interviewed by the local newspaper, she commented, “I’ve enjoyed Blooming Prairie so much. It is such a wonderful place to live and I will miss it terribly.” She continued to value her relationship with friends and family in Blooming Prairie and Hayfield and relished hearing good news about community members.

Marge appreciated all that life offered her, taking advantage of a rich and productive world populated by family and friends. She never took her good fortune for granted, frequently commenting to her family on how blessed she was. She enjoyed an active, independent life until she suffered a stroke in March.

Her husband of 50 years, Norm, died in 1991. Marge is survived by her children, Jim Peterson and his wife, Mary Ellen, of Tucson, Ariz., Joan Peterson and her husband, Michael Carroll, of Pepperell, Mass.; grandchildren, Brendan Carroll of Cambridge, Mass., Devon Carroll of New Haven, Conn., and Mike Peterson and his wife, Lourdes and their two girls, Carly and Kristen, of Alpharetta, Ga.

A memorial service for Marge will be held at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 26 at First Lutheran Church of Blooming Prairie. Worlein Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.