Carol Jean Refsell Petersen 1934-1970

PETERSEN, REFSELL

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 2/4/2013 at 19:55:13

Saturday Rites for 2 Teachers Killed on Treacherous Road
No classes will be held in the Graettinger schools Monday in memory of the school’s two fourth grade teachers killed in an automobile accident Thursday [January 15, 1970] morning. Fourth graders in the classes of Mrs. James (Carol Jean) Petersen and Mrs. LeRoy (Joan Marjorie) Powers, both of Estherville, will not have classes today.

Services for both of the women have been scheduled for Saturday. Funeral services for Mrs. Powers will be held at 1:30 p.m. in the Estherville United Presbyterian Church. Services for Mrs. Petersen will be at 11 a.m. in the Redeemer Lutheran Church.

The two teachers were killed in a head-on collision on Highway 4, to miles south of Wallingford, as they were driving to school.

In the accident, a northbound car driven by Mrs. LaVerne (Joyce Ann) Schnell, 23, of Graettinger, apparently slid across the center line as it went over one of the dips in the road and collided with the Powers’ compact car. Authorities have not been able to question Mrs. Schnell about the accident because she is suffering from shock.

Both Mrs. Powers and Mrs. Petersen were killed instantly. Neither was wearing seatbelts, the Emmet County sheriff’s office stated. The car in which they were riding had to be pulled apart in order to free the bodies.

Mrs. Petersen, 35, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ole Refsell. Born Dec. 2, 1934, she graduated from Estherville High School in 1953 and attended Estherville Junior College, Augustana College at Sioux Falls, S.D., and received her bachelor of arts degree from Buena Vista College, Storm Lake.

She was married in Wallingford June 5, 1954, to James Petersen, now employed at John Morrell and Company. After their marriage they lived in Wallingford for two years, then moved to Estherville for two years, Waterloo four years, Storm Lake four years, and then back to Estherville three years ago. She was a member of the Iowa State Educational Association and the Graettinger Teachers’ Association. She had taught at Graettinger for three years. She was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Estherville.

She is survived by her husband, James; three children, Maxine, 13, Janet, 12, and Bruce, 9; one brother, Robert Refsell, Wallingford; and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Refsell of Wallingford.

She was preceded in death by an infant son.

The Rev. Robert Fitzgerald will officiate at the funeral services. Burial will be in the Eastside Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be James Towell, Eugene Petersen, George Strenge, Gene Wibben, Ronald Bartles and Harry Perkins.

Friends may call at the Reese-Henry Funeral Home until 9:30 a.m. Saturday. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, January 16, 1970)