Peterson, Patricia Ann Bergman (1935-1961)

PETERSON, BERGMAN, ILES, KIDD, ANDERSON

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:02

Fort Dodge Messenger
Oct. 16, 1961

Stratford

Mrs. Gene Peterson, 26, of Stratford died Sunday at University hospitals in Iowa City where she was taken about six weeks ago after suffering severe burns in an explosion here. She and her sister, Mrs. Kenneth Iles, were cleaning up some gasoline from a can that had overturned when suddenly it was ignited by a hot water heater.

Mrs. Iles, also badly burned, was treated at University hospitals and returned home Sunday. Mr. Peterson and Mr. Iles were slightly burned, too, but were hospitalized only briefly.

Funeral Services of Mrs. Peterson are pending, but are tentatively planned for Wednesday with the Hanson funeral home of Stratford in charge.

Mrs. Peterson, the former Patricia Bergman, had spent all her life at Stratford except for a few years in Chicago. Until recently she had been employed at the Boone State Bank in Boone. She was a member of Calvary Methodist church.

An infant son, born a short time after she was taken to Iowa City following the explosion, preceded her in death.

Surviving are her husband; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl [Florence Amanda Anderson] Bergman of Stratford; four brothers and two sisters, Robert, Howard and Ronald Bergman and Mrs. Kenneth Iles of Stratford, Jerry, serving with the army in Germany, and Mrs. Donald Kidd of Otterville.

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Monday, October 16, 1961

Burns Prove Fatal for Mrs. Peterson

STRATFORD - Burns suffered in a gasoline explosion and fire at her home Sept. 12 proved fatal Sunday for Mrs. Gene Peterson, 26, who died at the University Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services have been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at the Methodist church in Stratford. The body will lie in state at the Hanson funeral home until noon Wednesday when it will be taken to the church.

A sister, Mrs. Kenneth Iles, 29, who was also burned in the fire at the Peterson home, returned home Sunday from the Iowa City hospital where she had been undergoing treatment.

The fire occurred when a container of gasoline broke and a hot water heater ignited the fumes, with the blast badly damaging the rear of the Peterson home.

Mrs. Peterson is survived by her husband and by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bergman of Stratford; four brothers, Robert, Howard and Ronald Bergman, all of Stratford, and Jerry Bergman, with the U.S. Army in Germany; and two sisters, Mrs. Iles and Mrs. Donald Kidd of Otterville, Iowa.

She was preceded in death on Sept. 16 by an infant son.

Mrs. Peterson spent almost her entire life in Stratford except for a few years when she and her husband were employed in Chicago. She had worked until recently at the Boone State bank.

She was a member of Calvary Methodist church.