Marian Petersen
Marian Martha Petersen, Davenport, was called to eternal life on Oct. 23, 2012, one day shy of her 82nd birthday with her journey ending at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf, Iowa. The family greeted friends and family from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 at Weerts Funeral Home, Kimberly at Jersey Ridge Road, Davenport. Services were held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2136 Brady St., Davenport, with burial next to her life mate in Davenport Memorial Park.
In lieu of plants and flowers, memorials may be addressed to American Heart Association, Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Scott County 4-H, or St. Paul Lutheran Church.
The eldest child of Edwin and Frieda (Paper) Schroeder, Marian was born on Oct. 24, 1930, in Davenport. She graduated from Fulton 3M (one-room country school), JB Young Junior High and Davenport (Central) High School in 1949.
Joined in a life-long journey with William Floyd Petersen at St. Mark Lutheran Church on May 6, 1950, they celebrated 61 years together. No honeymoon for them … it was spring and the crops needed to get in. Marian and Bill partnered in a successful cropping and dairy operation for 48 years, and worked from sunup to sundown with rarely a day off for years and years. Over the years, Marian handled all the farm equipment except the combine and liquid manure spreader. During harvest, she hauled the majority of the crops from the field to the grain storage set-up on the home place. When prices permitted, Marian hauled 99 percent of the crop to market. Her pride and joy was her International tandem axle F1924 grain truck. After a major barn fire in 1970, Bill and Marian chose to specialize in registered Holsteins. With the increased herd size, Marian often helped with the morning milking as well as every other weekend. From 1950 until 1979, she maintained a flock of up to 500 laying hens plus 200 young chickens and delivered eggs all over the Iowa Quad Cities.
After working hard all week, Marian and Bill enjoyed ballroom dancing at the Col Ballroom on Saturday nights with friends. She also loved exhibiting in the open class culinary and sewing divisions at the Mississippi Valley Fair. Her passion for 4-H started in her youth as a 4-H’er, then her children were very active in 4-H and all of her grandchildren participated. Marian was the adult leader of the Blue Grass Sunshine Workers Senior 4-H Club for five years.
Marian and Bill traveled extensively: continental U.S., Mexico, Panama, Hawaii, Alaska, Europe (four times), New Zealand, Australia, and China. In addition to ballroom dancing, volunteering and traveling, Marian enjoyed playing cards with friends and decorating birthday cakes for the grandchildren. Her grandchildren and their activities brought her tremendous joy.
Besides raising children, working in the field, maintaining several egg routes and milking, Marian found time and energy to give back to her community: Walcott Elementary School, Dairy Promotion Committee, Discovery Shop, 4-H Leader, Iowa Holstein Committee, I.O.W.A. (Iowa Organization of Women for Agriculture), Mississippi Valley Fair Director (30 years) including being the first woman president, Scott County Women’s Farm Bureau, St. Paul Lutheran Church, and North Scott Rotary. Marian and Bill sponsored the 4-H UP Award program for almost 30 years.
Marian is lovingly remembered by her children, William Flynn (Rita), Cynthia (Dean) Ehrecke, and David (Amy); grandchildren, Michelle (Kurt), Barbara (Arlan), Dana, Lance (Erin), William Francis and Nolan; siblings, Mardelle Meyer, Donald Schroeder, and Dale (Mary) Schroeder.
The family truly appreciated the kindness and compassion of: family and friends, Dr. Debra Jaegle and staff, and the totally amazing staff at the Hospice House for assisting with Marian’s care.
Online condolences may be expressed to Marian’s family by visiting her obituary at www.WeertsFH.com
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