Gladys Peterson

Gladys Peterson
Feb. 17, 1924 - Jan. 2, 2012

Gladys May Peterson, 87, of Willmar, formerly of Lake Lillian, died Monday, January 2, at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.

Funeral services will be 11:00 A.M. Friday, January 6, at the Blomkest Baptist Church. Burial will be in the Lake Elizabeth Baptist Cemetery near Atwater. Visitation will be 5-7 P.M. Thursday, January 5, at Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar and one hour prior to the service at the church.

Gladys was born February 17, 1924, on the family farm in Lake Lillian, Minnesota, the daughter of Carl and Alma (Swedin) Lindquist. She grew up in the rural Lake Lillian area, attended District 5 school and graduated from Bird Island High School in 1941. On May 22, 1945, she married Holger Peterson and they lived and farmed in the Lake Lillian area.

Gladys was a member of the Atwater Baptist Church, where she helped with Bible School and later became a member of the Blomkest Baptist Church. She was also member of Home Extension and worked in Creative Activities at the Kandiyohi County Fair for many years.

Gladys enjoyed both flower and vegetable gardening. She was a wonderful seamstress and sewed nearly all of her children's clothing. She also enjoyed canning and quilting. She was always willing to give of her time to help others in any way that she could.

She is survived by a son: David (and Kathleen) Peterson of Burnsville; daughters: Geraldine Theuringer of Hutchinson, Marlene (and Dean) Stanghelle of Lake Lillian, Diane (and Ronald) Anderson of Anoka, Denise (and Douglas) Kienholz of Bird Island, Darlene (and Michael) Lechner of St. Peter, Janet (and Jack) White of Spicer and Dawn Peterson of Eden Prairie; 23 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband: Holger in 1997; two sisters: Irene Swart and Helen Johnson; a son-in-law: Richard Theuringer; and two grandchildren: Jeremy Mandelkow and Nicole White.