John E Petersen

John E. Petersen age 87 of Westerville parted this world on May 8th 2011 at the Arbor Manor in Fremont, NE. Funeral services will be held on Friday May 13, 2011 at 10:30 AM at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow with Rolen Sell officiating. Burial will be in the Westerville Cemetery with Military Honors. Visitation will be held on Thursday 8 Am to 8 Pm with the family greeting friends 6 Pm to 7 PM at Govier Bros. Mortuary in Broken Bow. Memorials have been established to the American Legion Club in Ansley or Arcadia. John was born in Custer County, Mason City, NE on March 10, 1924 to Christy and Marie Petersen. John served in World War II in the US Navy. He continued his membership in the Legion for the rest of his lifetime. John felt honored to have been assigned to the Destroyer “The Sullivans”. This was the Navy’s honor of the eight Sullivan’s who were killed on one ship. The Navy ceased to allow several brothers to be on any one ship after that. He married Nelly Lou Holeman at the family farm home on Clear Creek on July 14, 1946. They celebrated both their 50th and 60th anniversaries. The farm they were married on had been in Nelly Lou’s family for over 100 years, and John was very proud of that. They enjoyed traveling into every state of the union and to Mexico and Canada. John loved farming and having the fruits of his labor seen. For many years he was active in the NFO. He enjoyed his Belgian horses and hitching them as a team or just out working with them. John’s family, his farm, and his Belgian horses were his pride and joy. To their union was born Jacquelyn (Larry) Kuehl, Terry (Rita) Petersen, and Wendy (Ray) Buley. They raised a grandson, Chris Petersen, from the time he was two years old. Survivors include his wife Nelly Lou of Westerville, NE, daughters Jacquelyn (Larry) Kuehl of Overland Park, KS, Wendy (Ray) Buley of Henderson, Iowa, and son Terry (Rita) Petersen of Fremont, one brother Ray (Beverly) Petersen of Kearney, two sisters-in laws, Arlene Petersen of Grinnell, Iowa, and Ann Petersen of Tallahassee, Florida, eight grandchildren: Chris (Jodi) Petersen, Kari Ann Kuehl, Kori Jo (Jeff) Gerhart, Jeff (Michelle) Kauk, Amy Lou (Brandon) Kucera, Kashlon (Sherri) Petersen, Catlin Rae Buley, and Jesse Marie Buley, six great grandchildren, and a host of other friends and family.