Sonke Petersen, 79, of Stewartville, Minn. died Thursday, Jan. 31. 2008
of cancer following a lengthy illness at the Stewartville Care Center
where he had resided since July of 2006.
Sonke Petersen was born Sept. 20, 1928 in Caledonia. He grew up on the
family farm and attended rural school. He farmed as a young man with
his parents in rural Brownsville and Reno, and later with his uncle
Nick Petersen and neighbors Cliff and Marj McKee and John and Marie
Field near Osage, Iowa. He was married on Oct. 22, 1950 at St. John’s
Lutheran Church in Elkton, Minn to Corrine Lauraline Kirchner of Rose
Creek, Minn. The couple farmed in rural Grand Meadow, Minn. before
moving to rural Stewartville where they have lived and farmed to
present. Sonke was a feed salesman for Moorman Mfg Col. from 1960 to
1974 and did custom spraying for many years. He was a longtime member
of Zion Lutheran Church in Stewartville serving on various committees
and its council and was a past member of the Stewartville Lions Club.
Survivors include his wife and four daughters: Diane (Ron) Kolberg,
Pettibone, N.D.; Rosanne (Chuck) Smith, Moore, Okla.; Jenny Miller,
Rochester, Minn.; Judy (Thomas) Fitzmaurice, Barnegat, N.J.; three
sons: Thomas (Liane), Chaska, Minn; Duane, Zumbro Falls, Minn.; Larry,
Hayfield, Minn; 18 grandchildren, one great-granddaughter; one sister,
Caroline Heimerdinger, rural Caledonia; two brothers: John (Lucille)
Petersen, Caledonia; and Fred (Audrey) Petersen, Hokah.
He was preceded in death by a brother-in-law, Adolf Heimerdinger.
The funeral will take place Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 11 a.m. at Zion Lutheran
Church in Stewartville with Rev. Ron Allen officiating. A spring burial
will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Stewartville. Friends may call from 4 -
8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4 at Zion Lutheran Church and one hour prior to
the service at the church Tuesday morning. Griffin-Gray Funeral home is
handling the arrangements.
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