Earl Norman Petersen 1932-2012

JANSEN PETERSEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/9/2012 at 11:40:33

Sioux City Journal
July 28, 2012

Earl N. Petersen, 79, of Anthon, Iowa, passed away Thursday, July 26, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Paul Lutheran Church at Midway, rural Battle Creek, Iowa, with the Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in St. Paul Cemetery at Midway with military graveside honors provided by VFW Sioux Valley Post 1750 of Correctionville, Iowa, and American Legion McNiff Post 389 of Anthon, Iowa. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. Sunday, with a prayer service at 7 at the Armstrong Funeral Home in Anthon. Online condolences can be directed to the family and the full obituary can be found at armstrongfuneral.com.

Earl Norman Petersen was born Aug. 12, 1932, at Battle Creek, the son of Thomas and Clara (Jansen) Petersen. He grew up on the family farm north of Danbury, Iowa. He attended country school through the eighth grade, graduating from Anthon High School with the class of 1950. While in high school, Earl was a pitcher on the baseball team that earned the State Championship in 1949.

Earl entered the U.S. Navy, serving from Oct. 30, 1951, until Oct. 14, 1955, during the Korean War. He was stationed in Korea and Japan as a shipmate on the USS Prairie. Over the years, Earl attended multiple reunions with the many other sailors who also served on that vessel.

Upon his honorable discharge, Earl returned home where on Aug. 10, 1956, he was united in marriage to Donna Albers at St. Paul Lutheran Church at Midway. The couple then farmed on the family farm where they raised their four children. Earl also worked as a DeKalb Seed Dealer for 30 years.

Having been baptized, confirmed and married at St. Paul Church, Earl remained a devoted lifelong member of that congregation. Throughout his adult years, he served on almost every office in the church. Upon finding an interest in the coin business, Earl became a partner with Curtis Iversen in P & I Coins in 1961. He later partnered with Ted Alvey in USA Coin Company in Sioux City. As a result, he was a member of the Numismatist Association and the Sioux City Rotary.

He was also a lifetime member of the American Legion McNiff Post No. 389 of Anthon and a member of Sioux Valley VFW Post 1750 of Correctionville. Earl loved a good golf game and was first a member of Willow Vale Golf Course in Mapleton and later the Anthon Golf Course. Earl and Donna enjoyed wintering in Arizona having spent the last several years at Queen Valley Resort where he was active in the church choir, computer classes and became involved in stage plays at the resort.

If at all possible, Earl would not miss any of his grandkids' events. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan as well as an Iowa Hawkeye fan and was warming up to becoming an Iowa State fan because of his grandchildren attending there. He found pleasure in fishing, having made many fishing trips to Minnesota with his family and friends. Earl and Donna loved to dance and often found time to start a friendly card game with others. Earl was presented an award for having visited the Mercy Medical Cardiac Rehab Unit over 1,000 times, where he developed personal friendships as well.

Those family members left to embrace their memories of Earl include Donna, his wife of nearly 57 years; his four children, Denise Petersen of Liberty, Mo., Donita Getting and her husband, Dean, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Stan Petersen and his wife Kathy of Danbury, and Daron Petersen and his wife Holly, also of Danbury; his seven grandchildren, Taylor and Landon Getting, Bailey and Brandee Petersen, and Tye, Tanner and Turner Petersen; a brother and his wife, Orville and Shirlee Petersen of Danbury; and a brother-in-law and his wife, Elden and Sharon Albers of Battle Creek; along with many nieces and nephews.

Earl was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Elmer, Harold "Lefty" and Merlin Petersen; a sister-in-law, Arlene Iversen and her husband Curtis; and a brother-in-law, Norman Albers.