Surnames: Peterson, Franklin, Kaiser, Schmitt, Narcis, Dugenske, Panten, Sobeck, Sundermeyer, Kocian, Kruse, Lang, Redmann, Scanlon, Kunze, Zera, Fosdick

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) Thursday, 16 Oct. 2008

Peterson, Rita A. (18 Mar. 1918 - 14 Oct. 2008)

Abbotsford, Wis. -- Rita A. Peterson, 90, of Abbotsford, Wisconsin, died Tuesday Oct. 14, 2008, at the Golden Living Continental Center, Abbotsford, Wis.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008, at St. Bernard's Catholic Church, Abbotsford, Wis. Father Benjamin Franklin will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Colby, with Mrs. Peterson's grandchildren serving as pallbearers.

Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford, where the Rosary will be prayed at 7 p.m. Friends may also call one hour prior to service time Saturday at the church.

Mrs. Peterson was born March 18, 1918, in Colby, the daughter of Alphonse and Gertrude (Kaiser) Schmitt. Rita attended Riverside School in the town of Hull.

On July 22, 1940, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Rita was united in marriage to Lawrence Peterson. Faith and family were central in Rita's life. She was an active member of St. Bernard's Catholic Church and was honored by the Deanery as a Woman of Light. She also helped sew over 700 quilts for missions and made rosaries to give away. Rita loved to bake and her family remembers the aroma of "Grandma Bread" filling the house.

Rita is lovingly survived by her children, Priscilla (Narcis) Dugenske, Princeton, Duane (Rosaline) Peterson, Neillsville, Kenneth (Judy) Peterson, Edgar, Arden (Marie) Peterson, Abbotsford, Beth (James) Panten, Markesan, Brian (Marla) Peterson, Medford, Theresa (Raymond) Sobeck, Colby, Ann (Larry) Sundermeyer, Abbotsford, and Charlotte Peterson, Marshfield; 36 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren; four brothers, Emery (Rita) Schmitt, Abbotsford, Mark (Delores) Schmitt, Colby, Linus (Joan) Schmitt, Wausau, Tim (Suzie) Schmitt, Owen; six sisters, Maude Kocian, Abbotsford, Naomi (Harry) Kruse, Grayslake, Ill., Mercedes Lang, Wauzeka, Germaine (Fred) Redmann, Athens, Mary Ann (Ted) Scanlon, Chicago, and Verjean Kunze, Abbotsford, Wis. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Peterson was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence; grandchildren, Robert and Kurt Sundermeyer and Jeff Panten; brother, Roman Schmitt; and sisters, Blanche Zera, Carmen Fosdick and Pamela Schmitt.