Petersen, Roger E. 1928-2014

PETERSEN, BRONENKANT, GEHRMANN, BUIKEMA, LAKIN, RAMIREZ, GEMBEL, WLKENS

Posted By: Ruth Maring - Volunteer
Date: 4/3/2014 at 18:32:51

Roger E. Petersen, 85, of Clinton, passed away, Sunday, March 16, 2014 at his home in Clinton.
A Mass will be celebrated at 10:30am, Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Burial will be in the Springdale Cemetery with military honors being conducted by the Clinton AMVETS Post #28. Serving as pallbearers will be grandsons, David and Drew Lakin, Noah Buikema, nephews, Dr Michael Petersen and Mark Petersen, and Mark Vulich. Visitation will be Tuesday from 3:00-8:00pm at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory.

Roger was born Sept. 9, 1928, in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Victor and Irene (Bronenkant) Petersen. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1946 and was in the US Army for 2 years, serving as a Sergeant First Class in the engineers during the Korean conflict from Oct. 1950 to Oct. 1952.

He married Jeanette Gehrmann, January 26, 1957, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Clinton. They have four daughters that all worked at Clinton Printing.

Roger was a line-o-type operator at the Clinton Herald for 11 years before he started Clinton Printing in 1960 with his wife Jeanette as a partner. He retired from Clinton Printing in 1991, but continued part time making signs until 2011. He enjoyed riding his bike every day up until the summer of 2011. He had his first triple by-pass when he was 49.

He delivered Mobile Meals every Thursday for almost 20 years and was a volunteer driver for the Savanna Amvets taking veterans to the Iowa City hospitals for many years. He was a former member of Kiwanis where he enjoyed picking up debris downtown every Saturday morning. He was a member of the YMCA Y’s Men, he served on city boards for zoning and traffic study and was active in SCORE, Senior Core of Retired Executives, counselors to America’s Small Business. He was also a member of the American Legion Post 190

Surviving are his wife Jeanette, four daughters, Laura of Orlando, FL, Jean (Joe) Buikema, Linda (Jeff) Lakin and Julie Ramirez, all of Clinton; his grandchildren: Amie Ramirez and Katie Ramirez, both of Clinton, David Lakin of Maquoketa, Drew Lakin of Iowa City; Hattie Buikema of Denver, CO; Meggie Buikema of Ames and Noah Buikema of Clinton; sisters-in-law, Betty Petersen of Clinton; Carlyn (Ken) Gembel of Mobile, AL; niece, Marcia Wilkens of Virgin Islands; nephews Dr Michael Petersen of Straughton, WI; Mark Petersen of Muscatine; John Gembel of North Hampden, CN. His parents, a brother, Harold, a nephew, Michael Gembel preceded him in death.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to Restoring Royalty, Mobile Meals, Prince of Peace Catholic Church Parish Hall Building Fund or the charity of their choice.