Gene Allen Peterson

September 28, 1935 – April 20, 2023

Gene Allen Peterson, 87, Northwood (Emmons, Minn.--on the Iowa side), passed away Thursday, April 20, 2023 at Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minn. A visitation for Gene will be held from 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, April 26, at Schott Funeral Homes - Mittelstadt Chapel, Lake Mills, and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, April 27, at Emmons Lutheran Church, Emmons, Minn., with Rev. Ryan Henkel officiating. If you are unable to attend, the funeral service will be livestreamed at the Emmons Lutheran Church Facebook page.
 Gene was born Sept. 28, 1935 on a farm in Freeborn County to parents Daniel and Luella (Larson) Peterson. He was baptized at Silver Lake Lutheran and confirmed at Sion Lutheran Church. He attended schools (in Worth County, Emmons Public School, and Nunda Public School District 105) and graduated from Emmons Public School in 1953.

Gene was united in marriage to JoAnn R. Dahle on July 15, 1956 at Lime Creek Synod Lutheran Church.

He was a self-made engineer, carpenter, plumber, and electrician, which came from being a farmer because “you had to fix what broke”. After farming, he built his house in Emmons using lumber from a house he tore down, and worked at Wilson & Co. When he retired, he went back to school, graduating from Riverland Community College with an Associate degree in Environmental Technology. He worked as a Field Representative at Farm Service Agency of Freeborn County, and was a substitute Postal Carrier for the Emmons Post Office.

He was a member of the Emmons Fire Department for 24 years. He held all positions within the fire department, and was Fire Chief for 3 years. He was also a First Responder.

Gene was a member of Emmons Lutheran Church. He served on various committees, was trustee for three years, and helped serve the Lutefisk Supper for many years (meatballs and gravy mostly), and enjoyed being a member of the Dart Ball team.

Gene was a lifelong learner, and had many hobbies, most of them involving the outdoors. He was a beekeeper, selling honey out of his home to grocery stores and to the Huntley’s for their Farmer’s Market supply. He was a member of the Iowa Honey Producers and gave beekeeping talks to various groups, and was called on many times to gather a swarm. He quit bee keeping the first year of the pandemic, but a swarm found the box in the back of his truck, so he ended up with one more year of honey. He tapped maple trees and made maple syrup, and grew his own grapes and made wine. Hunting was very important to him, and a way to provide for his family. He enjoyed all aspects, with bow and arrow, shotgun, rifle, high powered rifle, with his coonhounds, and Springer Spaniels. He also did trapping. He took trips to Canada, Lake Michigan, and Alaska for fishing. For 25 years he took trips to Alaska the 20th of July for Red Salmon in the Kenai River…and also to visit his daughter Peggy. He even went to Alaska in the winter one time, just to experience that. Other trips included elk hunting in Colorado, moose hunting in Manitoba, and trips to Mexico in the winter for a good dose of vitamin D. Gene loved playing any kind of cards (except Poker) and dice game 10,000. He made many cribbage boards for family and friends in his workshop, and recently was playing cribbage in the Kiester club and even travelled the county fairs in the upper half of Iowa last summer to play. Over the years he enjoyed the neighborhood bow shooting club and Kvam’s cabin gatherings. Many people were surprised that Gene was a Snapchat user. His snapchat friends will miss his video calls and comments on their pictures. Other hobbies included bowling, golfing, and throwing horseshoes. He said some might consider gardening a hobby. In Gene’s words, “Gardening is not a hobby, that is just life.”

Gene is survived by his wife of 66 years JoAnn Peterson; daughters: Peggy (Steve Labno) Peterson, and Penny (James) Twedt; granddaughters: Emily (Jeff) Schmidt, Betsy (Bobby) Fraser, and Katie (fiance Ben Trunnel) Twedt;  great-granddaughters: Caroline, Charlotte and Claire Fraser; sister, Katherine (Kitty) Sandsmark; sister-in-law, Betty Peterson; and many in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Amy Jo Peterson; his parents; brother, Duane Peterson; siste, Beverly Thrond; and brothers-in-law: Marlin Sandsmark, and Kenneth Dahle.

 

Lake Mills Graphic

204 N. Mill Street
Lake Mills, IA 50450

Office Number: (641) 592-4222
Fax Number: (641) 592-6397

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