Obit: Peterson, Bernhardt Henry (1883 - 1970)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Peterson, Schumann, Alt, Heasley, Gruber, Garbush, Benedict, Smith, Meier, Prock, Hinkelmann, Jacob, Drescher, Musil, Nickel

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 1/07/1971

Peterson, Bernhardt Henry (19 August 1883 - 31 December 1970)

Funeral series for Bernhardt Henry Peterson, 87, of Neillsville, who died here December 31, 1970, were held Tuesday, January 5, at 3 p.m. from the United Methodist Church. The Rev. Melvin Nickel and Rollie Benedict, chaplain of the I.O.O.F. Lodge, officiated. Burial was made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Mr. Peterson was born August 19, 1883, in Clayton County, Iowa, the son of Marx Christian and Sophia (Schumann) Peterson. His marriage to the former Effie Alt took place in Neillsville on December 29, 1921. Mr. Peterson received his elementary and high school education at McGregor, Ia. He attended Upper Iowa University at Fayette, Ia., later working in the western harvest fields. There is operated early gasoline-powered tractors on the threshing rigs.

He attended Fargo Agriculture College. Mr. Peterson homesteaded at Powers Lake, N. D., for eight years. He also attended Valparaiso University, and later became a salesman and piano tuner. He was a salesman for the metropolitan Life Ins. Co. for 20 years, retiring in 1948.

A member of the Neillsville united Methodist Church and of Neillsville Lodge No. 198 I.O.O.F., he also belonged to the Veterans’ Association of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Mr. Peterson was very active in church work, participating in choir, Sunday school and the church board. He loved to work in his garden.

Survivors include his wife, two daughters, Bernadine Peterson of Madison and Carol Peterson of Eau Claire, and a sister, Mrs. Lena Heasley of San Bernardino, Calif.

Pallbearers were Albert Smith, W. G. Meier, Harold Prock, Arden Hinkelmann, Paul Jacob, and Art Drescher. The congregation sang the hymns, “Brightly Beams Our Father’s mercy” and “How Great Thou Art,” with Mrs. Jas Musil as accompanist.

Attending the services from out of town was Miss Carol Peterson of Eau Claire, Miss Bernadine Peterson and Miss Jane Gruber of Madison, and Florence Garbush and Rollie Benedict of Loyal.