Harold K. PETERSON

PETERSON, JOHNSON, ABBOTT, ALSDORF, STEIL, FINER, KOEHLER, PETERSEN, HARDCASTLE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/19/2017 at 21:13:45

June 20, 1939 ----- January 6, 2000

EAGLE GROVE - Harold "Pete" Peterson, 60, of Eagle Grove, formerly of Forest City, died Thursday (Jan. 6, 2000) at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the United Methodist Church in Forest City, with the Rev. Gary Marzolf and the Rev. Bill Ballard officiating. Burial will be in the Oakland Cemetery in Forest City. Visitation will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Petersen Lund Funeral Home, 505 N. Clark St. in Forest City.

Harold K. "Pete" Peterson was born in Forest City on June 20, 1939, the son of Raymond and Julia (Johnson) Petersen. He was educated in the Forest City school system. Pete made his debut as mascot of the Forest City Indians in the fall of 1950 at the age of 11. He continued as team mascot until his graduation in 1957. He was the first mascot for the football and basketball teams.

He received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 1963. He worked with this father in the family welding business for many years. He also managed the family owned Totem Pole Café in downtown Forest City.

He married Barbara Abbott [nee Hardcastle] on April 23, 1992. Pete worked for 23 years as the radio dispatcher at the Forest City Law Enforcement Center. When he moved to Eagle Grove he continued to work as a radio dispatcher in Webster City. He was also a charter member of the Forest City Police Reserve Unit. He was the quintessential rodeo fan. He traveled many miles to watch what had become his favorite sport. Though he never participated in any rodeo events, Pete "rode the full 8 seconds" in life. He also loved to play cribbage and spend time with his family. Pete was a drummer for the "Jolly Fisherman" old time music band for a number of years. He and the other band members spent many hours in his Suburban each weekend traveling to their next date. He really enjoyed being a part of the group.

Left to cherish Pete's memory and rejoice in his life are his wife, Barbara, of Eagle Grove; sisters, Delight Alsdorf, of Leland and Joycelyn Steil and her husband, Ken, of Leland. Also surviving are his stepchildren, Jay Abbott, of Long Island, N.Y., Brent Abbott and his wife, Cindy, of Fort Atkinson, Phillip Abbott, of Minnetonka, Minn. and Ann Finer and her husband, Danny, of Forest City; grandchildren, Tyler Finer, of Forest City and Korey, Tara and Troy Abbott, of Long Island, N.Y.; nieces and nephews, Wendy Steil, Todd and Stacey Steil and their children, Taylor and Jacob; Melanie and Dean Koehler and their children, Joshua and Emma; and Jason, Heather and Jeremy Alsdorf. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Julia Petersen; his grandparents; a brother, Paul; and many aunts and uncles.

Mason City Globe Gazette -- Iowa
January 8, 2000