Arlene E. Peterson

Arlene E. Peterson, 97, of Clear Lake, formerly of Ventura, passed away peacefully Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, at MercyOne North Iowa Hospice, in Mason City.

  Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, in Garner, with the Rev. Scott Kozisek officiating.  Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery.

  Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., Garner and will resume one hour prior to services at the church.

  Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church or MercyOne North Iowa Hospice.

  Arlene Edith Peterson, the daughter of Carl and Josephine (Anderson) Johnson, was born Oct. 21, 1922, on a farm near Buffalo Center.  Arlene was baptized at Linden Church, near Thompson, and confirmed at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, in Buffalo Center. She attended country school near her home and graduated from Buffalo Center High School in May of 1939 as the first in her family of nine girls and two boys.  She met her future husband, Allen Peterson, at a dance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.  On March 21, 1943 they were married at the Lutheran parsonage in Clear Lake.  To this union two children were born, Barbara and Kenneth.

They farmed and raised their family west of Ventura.  In 1972, they moved into a house they built in Ventura.  She enjoyed playing cards, bingo and in her younger years, dancing with Allen at the Surf Ballroom.  Family was very important to Arlene.

  She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, in Garner, and past member of Redeemer Lutheran, in Ventura, and Ellington Prairie Church, near Miller.

  Arlene is survived by her daughter, Barbara (Keith) Christians, of Garner; her son, Kenny Peterson (fiancée, Marcia Monson), of Clear Lake; four grandchildren, David (Kristie) Christians, Kevin (Stacy) Christians, Eric Peterson and Kyle (Sara) Peterson; great-grandchildren, Aaron (Beth) Christians, Alicia (Zack) Tannahill, Tyler Peterson, Gray Christians, Dane Christians, Maeve Christians, Brynn Peterson and Leo Peterson; two great-great grandchildren; two sisters, Rosemary Dickson and Joan Davis; two sisters-in-law, Helen Peterson and Vivian Peterson; and many nieces and nephews.

  She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Allen, on Aug. 7, 2014; daughter-in-law, Janelle Peterson; siblings, Margaret Haayer, Agnes Potter, Cora Smith, Ardis Hamme, Harold Johnson, Lester Johnson, Betty Vass and Della Toth; and brothers-in-law, Wilbur Peterson and Kermit Peterson.

Cataldo Funeral Home, Garner, was in charge of arrangements.