Verna Peterson

Verna Peterson, age 96, DeSmet, formerly of Willow Lake, the widow of Albert T. Peterson, died in the Good Samaritan Center at DeSmet early Sunday morning, March 1, 2009. Funeral services will be Thursday, March, 5, 2009 at 11AM in the United Presbyterian Church at Willow Lake with the Reverend Richard Poppen officiating. Burial will follow in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake. Music will be presented by Jody Symens as organist with Randall Johnsen as soloist. He will sing "the Lord's Prayer". The congregation will sing "Amazing Grace" and "He Leadeth Me". Honorary casketbearers will be her granddaughters. The active casketbearers will be grandsons, Randall & Ronald Johnsen, Thomas & David Ward and Tim, Kenny, David & Jackson Peterson. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 4-6 PM at the Church in Willow Lake and will resume after 9AM until service time at the Church. She was born in Turner County, South Dakota on November 23, 1912, the daughter of Karl and Gertie Gluenkin. When she was 8 years old the family moved from Turner County, southeastern South Dakota, to Clark County, to a farm near Willow Lake. They later moved to a place 2 miles south where she attended and graduated from Collins School #33. On August 27, 1929 she was united in marriage to Albert T. Peterson at Worthington, MN. They moved to a farm 4W and 2N of Willow Lake and then later moved to a farm a short distance away settling on a farm in the fall of 1933 4W and N of Willow Lake. They retired from farming in 1971 and moved into town in 1976. Albert died on April 12, 1984. She continued making Willow Lake her home until moving to DeSmet some 9 years ago, living first in the assisted living center and then for the past 4 years in the care center. Some of the things she enjoyed most were playing bingo and cards and traveling, especially on many bus trips. She will long be remembered for always having M & Ms available and freely giving them and sending them to many. She was a member of the United Presbyterian Church at Willow Lake. Grateful for having shared in her life are her children, Vivian Johnsen of Willow Lake, Joy (Bob) Carroll of DeSmet, John (Marlyce) Peterson of Willow Lake, Larry (Joyce) Peterson of Huron and Gary (Gail) Peterson of Sioux Falls, 20 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren. Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Albert T,, daughter, Lorna, sons-in-law, Carl Johnsen and Tom Ward, a grand-son-in-law, a great-granddaughter and a brother, John Gluenkin. Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home in Clark where there is an on-line guestbook at www.furnessfuneralhome.com