Obituary Posted: 4/5/05
Irene Mildred Peters of Pine City, Minn. died March 21, 2005 at Lakeside Nursing Home in Pine City. She was 86 years of age.
Funeral service was at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 26 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pine City with Deacon Gene Biever officiating. Music was provided by her son, John Peters, Gwen Lewis, and pianist Diane Pogones. Casket bearers were Ireneís grandchildren, Todd Mortenson, Doug Mortenson, Aaron Thompson, Ryan Trager, Corbin Peters, and Rita Lerud. Interment was at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Pine City. A memorial mass will be scheduled for a later date.
Irene was born to Ralph and Florence (Anderson) Johnson on June 12, 1918 at Sunrise, Minn. She was the second oldest of their four children and grew up with her brothers Lawrence and Harley, and her sister, Ione. Her elementary education was received at various rural schools, and she graduated from Rush City High School in Rush City, Minn. in 1937.
Following graduation, Irene moved to the Twin Cities and was employed at Montgomery Ward. Later she worked at the Twin Cities Arsenal in New Brighton, Minnesota during World War II. She also worked at Brown & Bigelow in St. Paul for a time.
On June 8, 1946, Irene was united in marriage to George Rinehart Mortenson in Rush City. They made their home in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Following Georgeís death on Dec. 15, 1949, Irene returned to Rush City to live with her three children.
On April 26, 1952 Irene married Jerome Peters at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pine City. They moved to a farm on the Brunswick Road located a few miles west of Pine City. In 1980, Irene and Jerome retired from their farm and moved to Pine City. Jerome died Oct. 21, 1992.
Irene worked at various business places in the Pine City, Mora, and Hinckley areas. She was a member of the Immaculate Conception parish and the CCW. She was also a member of the VFW Auxiliary and a former 4-H leader. Her many interests included sewing, baking, and gardening. She also enjoyed league bowling for many years, and ballroom dancing with her husband, Jerome. Her favorite card games were 500 and cribbage.
Irene is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law: Gary and Kathy Mortenson of North Hudson, Wisc., and John Peters of Pine City; daughters and sons-in-law: Diane and Denny Trager of Andover, Minn., Leanne and Scott Thompson of Sartell, Minn., and Susan Lerud of Fargo, No.Dak.; grandchildren: Todd, Doug, Aaron, Ann, Jill, Kelly, Ryan, Marie, Lisa, Kyle, Kim, Rita, Corbin, and Brynne; great grandchildren: Elizabeth, Lauren, Lydia, and Mathew; brothers and sister-in-law: Lawrence Johnson of Rush City and Harley and Maydean Johnson of Pine City; her sister: Ione Whiting of Sauk Centre, MN; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husbands George Mortenson and Jerome Peters, her grandson Kyle Thompson, sister-in-law Lucille Johnson, and brother-in-law Leonard Whiting.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Funeral & Cremation Service of Pine City, Minnesota; ìSwanson Chapel.î
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