Arthur M. Petersen

Arthur Maxwell Petersen, 92, of Mason City, died Monday, October 8, 2012 surrounded by his loving family. Memorial services will be held 10:30 AM Friday, October 12, 2012 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 329 East State Street with Rev. Sid Bohls officiating. Inurnment will take place in Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery where full military rites will be conducted by the Mason City Veterans Association. The family will greet friends from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Thursday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Lutheran Church. Arthur Maxwell Petersen was born on November 24, 1919 in Mason City to Danish immigrants Mads and Karen (Nielsen) Petersen. Art attended Mason City Schools graduating in 1937. In 2000, he was a recipient of the Mason City High School Distinguished Alumni Award. Art proudly served his country during World War II in the Army Air Corp, 8th Air Force 305th Bomb Group for 37 months, and was stationed in England. After his return from the war, he met the love of his life, Marjorie Marchand from Milford. They were married December 1, 1946 in Mason City. They lived the majority of their 65 year marriage at 27 S. Kentucky in Mason City. Art worked for L.H. Kurtz Company as a salesman, assistant manager and manager until it was purchased by City Supply Corp. where he continued as manager until his retirement. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mason City for many years. He served his church as a board member, Sunday school superintendent, Sunday school teacher, lector, and usher. He was also a member of the VFW. Art enjoyed taking daily walks with his longtime friends Vaughn Escher and Gene Manning. There is a picture the family will always cherish of the three of them sitting on a bench in East Park on a crisp fall day. But Art’s life most definitely centered around Marge and their family. Art is survived by his wife of 65 years, Marjorie; sons, Max (Jennifer) of Savage, Minnesota, Scott (Janet) of Mason City, Dirk (Marilyn) of Mason City; daughter, Beth Rozen (Tim) of Mason City; 9 grandchildren, Nicholas Petersen, Emily Petersen, Elizabeth Parrott, Benjamin Petersen, Katherine Kennedy, Blake Petersen, Andrew Petersen, Marjorie Rozen, and Thaddaeus Rozen; 3 great –grandchildren, Madeline Parrott, Beckett Petersen, and Khloe Kennedy; many nieces and nephews. Art was preceded in death by his parents, Mads and Karen; 3 sisters, Marie, Dora, and Inga. One of Art’s many anecdotes was “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die to get there.” Art was ready to make this journey and now he has arrived.

St. Paul Lutheran Church