Obit: Peterson, Effie (1884 - 1974)

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

Surnames: Peterson, Sutherlin, Alt, Hudson, Call, Boneshe, Ford, Gruber, Hargraves, Landry, Elliott, Sears, Deitrich, Thompson, Hanson, Markwardt, Meier, Kren, Smith, Hinkelmann, Smith, Musil, Christensen

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/04/1974

Peterson, Effie (11 November 1884 - 28 June 1974)

Mrs. B. H. (Effie Alt) Peterson, longtime Neillsville resident and former area school teacher, died June 28 at Memorial Home at the age of 89. Funeral services were held Monday from the Neillsville United Methodist Church with the Rev. Gerald E. Christensen, Eau Claire, officiating. Interment was in the Neillsville City Cemetery. Arrangements were made by the Georgas Funeral Home.

Mrs. Peterson, the daughter of Ira M. and Margaret a. (Sutherlin) Alt, was born November 11, 1884, a Palestine, In., and was educated there, In 1906 she came to Neillsville with her mother and stepfather, Charles Hudson, who sold nursery stock with a horse and buggy. She taught in area rural schools, Grand View, Uncle Sam and Meadow View, from 1906-1915. In 1916, she received her diploma from what was then the Stevens Point Normal School. She taught in Granton, Marshfield and Neillsville schools from 1916-1923.

Her marriage to Bernhardt Henry Peterson took place December 29, 1921, in Neillsville. Mr. Peterson preceded his wife in death on December 31, 1970. Mrs. Peterson was an active member of the United Methodist Church and had served as president of its Women’s Society of Christian Service and as a Sunday school teacher. She was also a member of the Monday Progress Club during her lifetime.

Surviving are two daughters, Miss Bernadine Peterson of Madison and Miss Carol Peterson of Eau Claire.

Pallbearers were Henry Markwardt, W. G. Meier, Harold Kren, Herb Smith, Arden Hinkelmann and Albert (Pete) Smith.

“How Great Thou Art” and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” were sung by the congregation. Mrs. Iris Musil was the organist.

Among those who attended the services were the following from out of town: Miss Carol Peterson, Bessie Call, Mary Boneshe and Mr. and Mrs. David Ford, Eau Claire; Miss Bernadine Peterson, Miss Jane Gruber, Pricilla Hargraves, Lenore Landry, M. Peterson and Betty Elliott, Madison; Roscoe Sears, Chili; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Deitrich, Titonka, Ia.; Mrs. Tilmer Thompson and Mrs. Howard Hanson, Decorah, Ia.