Obit: Peterson, Caroline #2 (1874 – 1961)
Contact: Stan

Surnames: Peterson, Giere, Gilbertson, Emerson, Mason, Sullivan, Rusten, Hollyfield, Doehr, Stalheim, Lee, Grassman, Norman, Berg, Broughton, Severson, Danielson, Tidgewell, Klukas, Engh, Thompson, Schori, Nanstad, Hansen, Olson, Long, Johnson, Paterson

Scrapbook Collection of Duane Horn

Peterson, Caroline (20 June 1874 – 7 Aug. 1961)

Mrs. Peterson O. Peterson

Mrs. Caroline Peterson, 87, widow of the late Peter O."Big Pete" Peterson, prominent area farmer passed away Monday, August 7, 1961 at the Krohn Hospital. She had received a fracture when she fell on August 2 and had been hospitalized since them. Since the death of her husband she has spent most of her time living with her daughter, Esther, Mrs. Archie Emerson of Taylor.

Born June 20, 1874 in the Irving community of the Town of Albion in Jackson county Mrs. Peterson whose maiden name was Caroline Gilbertson was married to Peter O. Peterson at the Little Norway Church on October 28, 1896 by the Rev. N. A. Giere. She and her husband lived to observe the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage in 1956. In 1946 they had celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a grand scale open house. Mr. Peterson passed away February 20, 1957.

Throughout her lifetime Mrs. Peterson was a very active member of the Little Norway congregation and she and her husband were credited as having leading roles in the formation of that congregation. Except for a few years in the 1940's she and her husband always lived on the Peterson farm a few miles southwest of Black River Falls. A letter written August 9 by Representative Johnson to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Paterson contained a paragraph which very nicely summed up the feeling so many had toward Mrs. Peterson. He wrote, "In all the years I have known your mother, I have admired the wonderful outlook on life she had and her cheerful disposition. She always seemed to be happy. Your mother and father were a wonderful couple, and they certainly thought a lot of each other. I enjoyed living next door to them when I first came to Black River Falls. When I see my family of three children scattered from one end of the U.S. to the other, I often think of how wonderful your folks were to have their whole family within a few miles radius. No one can take the place of one's mother. I have always admired the way the Peterson family treated their mother and father.

She is survived by two daughters, Esther, Mrs. Archie Emerson of Taylor and Harriet, Mrs. Geo. Mason of Black River Falls; four sons, Merlin, Raymond, Norman and Price, each of Black River Falls, one Brother, Anton E. Gilbertson of Black River Falls; 23 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two sons, Norman who died in infancy, Pliny who died in December of 1931 and one daughter, Cora, Mrs. Perry Sullivan in August of 1927.

Funeral services for her were conducted at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 10 from the Little Norway Lutheran Church with the Rev. A. M. Rusten officiating. Interment was made in the church cemetery. Friends called at the Ness Funeral Home Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The pallbearers were all grandsons. They were Arland Peterson, Vernon Peterson, Larry Peterson, Atlee Sullivan, Gene Mason and Max Mason. The lovely floral offering and numerous memorials spoke silent testimony to the high esteem in which Mrs. Peterson was held by so many. Four granddaughters, Janet Peterson, Lois Peterson, Martha Peterson and Mrs. Donald Long, formerly Grace Peterson served as the flower girls. Mrs. Richard Olson was the soloist and her selection was "My God and I." The men's quartet composed of Harvey Gilbertson, LeRoy Gilbertson, Albert Hansen and Robert Hansen sang "In Heavenly Love Abiding."

Persons who came from beyond Jackson county to attend the services were Verna Grassman, Madison; Helen Norman, LaCrosse; Mabel Berg, Milwaukee; Mr. Cecil Broughton and Mr. Atlee Sullivan, Kenosha, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Peter Severson, Rockford, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Danielson, Combined Locks, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Doehr, Hayward, Wis.; Mr. Lavern E. Severson, Rockford, Ill.; Mrs. John Tidgewell, Janet Peterson, St. Paul, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Klukas and son, Gil, Mrs. Wm Hollyfield, Mrs. Lloyd Danielson, all of Janesville, Wis.; Mrs. Selmer Engh, Westby, Wis.; Mr. and Mrs. Sigvold Stalheim, Pigeon, Falls; Mrs. Andrew Lee, Iver M. Thompson, Ettrick; Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Schori, Fall Creek, Wis.; Mrs. Oscar Peterson, Whitehall, Wis.; Mr. Vernon Gilbertson, Milwaukee; Mr. Edwin Nanstad, Blair, Wis.; and Mrs. and Mrs. Ellsworth Danielson and Carol, Chicago, Ill.

"A Tribute to Mother"

Two dear, bright eyes, a tender smile,

A loving heart that knew no guile,

Deep trust in God that all was right,

Her joy to make some other bright,

If sick or suffering one she knew,

Some gentle art of love she'd do,

No thought of self, but of the "other"

I know God said: “Well done, dear Mother."