Petersen, Rachel J. Weiland (1869-1956)

WEILAND, PETERSEN, MILLER

Posted By: Deborah (email)
Date: 11/13/2004 at 20:56:47

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, IA Tues. 24 July 1956

Rachel Petersen Dies at 87. Rites Thursday

Mrs. Rachel J. Petersen, 87, mother of Mrs. Ira Miller of this city, died at 9 o'clock this morning at the Hamilton county hospital where she had been a patient the past eight weeks.

She had made her home here with her daughter the past 12 years.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Methodist church with the Rev. R.D. Kitterman officiating. Burial will be on the family lot at Bristow.

The body will lie in state at the Foster funeral home until 10 a.m. Friday when it will be taken in the church.

Rachel J. Weiland, daughter of John and Hilka Weiland was born March 24, 1869 in Germany. When she was 11 years old she came with her parents to the Untied States, locating at Bristow. She was educated in the schools there and grew to young womanhood in that community.

She was united in marriage Sept. 4, 1890 to the Rev. John W. Petesen. For several years they live on an Indian reservation in South Dakota where Mr. Petersen served as a missionary. They later moved to Minnesota where he was a pastor in several communities. In 1906, they returned to Iowa where he served as a Methodist pastor in the Northwest Iowa conference. In 1932, the Petersens retired and moved to Britt where they resided for 10 years.

Following the death of her husband, Mrs. Petersen came to Webster City to make her home with her daughter, Mrs. Miller.

She is survived by one son and three daughters; the Rev. John Peterson of Cedar Falls, Mrs. Ira (Libbie) Miller, Webster City, Mrs. Alfred (Annalena) Lyon of Ayrshire, Iowa, and Mrs. M.D. (Grace) Summerbell of Knoxville; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; one brother Robert Weiland of Bristow. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by one daughter, Hilda, who died in 1928, two grandchildren, her parents, one brother and two sisters.

Mrs. Petersen was baptized in the Methodist faith and was a member of the Methodist church in Webster City.

Mrs. Petersen was an active member of the Women's Society of Christian Service of the Methodist church and last May was honored with a lifetime membership pin and certificate.