Loretta Mae Petersen

Loretta Mae Petersen, the daughter of Clarence and Katherine (Knight) Heiken, was born June 11, 1938, at her parents’ home in Melville Township, Audubon County, Iowa and died December 31, 2018, at the Mercy Hospital Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa at the age of 80 years, 6 months, and 20 days.
Loretta was baptized and confirmed at the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon. She attended the Viola School then graduated from the Audubon High School with the Class of 1956. Loretta studied at the Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls, Iowa for one year.
On September 29, 1957, she was united in marriage to Gerald (Jerry) D. Petersen at the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon. They were blessed with five children Daniel, Ricky, Scott, Cynthia, and Crystal. Loretta was employed as a secretary at the Audubon Schools for a short time then owned and operated the Budget Shop, a consignment store, for several years. She then worked as a secretary for Talbot-Carlson, Inc. for several years and then Stephen May Construction before returning to the Audubon Community Schools until she retired.
Loretta was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon for over 67 years where she had served as an Elder. She was a member of the Rebekah Lodge #459 and volunteered at the Friendship Home. Loretta loved quilting. She belonged to a quilting club and attended many quilting retreats over the years. One of Loretta's favorite quilting experiences was the Iowa Shop Hop in which she visited a quilting shop in each of the counties in Iowa. She belonged to a bridge club and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan. Loretta loved country music and enjoyed traveling to Branson, Missouri and other venues to hear it played. But her passion was being with her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and the rest of her family.
Preceding her in death was her great granddaughter Maya Mann; her parents; her sister Donna and husband Charles Sacco; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Marvin Fairchild, John Anderson, Mary Ann Heiken, Lois and husband Bill Rasmussen, Gloria Munch, Charlotte and husband Robert Finnerty, Bill Schrader, and Randall Petersen.
Survivors include her husband Jerry Petersen of Audubon, Iowa; her children Daniel L. and wife Kasandra Petersen of Ankeny, Iowa, Ricky D. and wife Annette Petersen of Hertel, Wisconsin, Scott A. Petersen of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cynthia S. and husband Jon Wedemeyer of Waukee, Iowa, and Crystal A. and husband Garry Carlson of Newell, Iowa; her grandchildren Michael and wife Jennifer Petersen, Matthew Petersen, Charcey Petersen, Daniel S. and wife Brenda Petersen, Nathanael Petersen, Bethanna and husband Zach Good, Rebekah Petersen and Nathan Mann, Amanda and husband Jeremy Strom, Jeremiah Petersen, Helga Petersen, Faith Petersen, Charity Petersen, Elijah Petersen, Joshua Petersen, Travis and wife Melissa Petersen, Nicholas Petersen, Bison Petersen, Christopher Wedemeyer, Alison Wedemeyer, Benjamin Wedemeyer, Samuel Wedemeyer, Jacob Carlson, Megan Carlson, and Max Carlson; her great grandchildren Rick Petersen, Jonathan Petersen, Iliana Duin, Emma Good, Athena Petersen, Sabrina Mann, Tucker Mann, Adalynn Moran, Everly Strom; her brothers and sisters Jerold and wife Nadine Heiken, Mary Fairchild and Doyle Hunt, Beverly Anderson, Dennis and wife Wendy Heiken; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Dallas Munch, Wayne “Lefty” and wife Jeanette Petersen, Elizabeth Schrader, Marilyn and husband Walter Anderson; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
The family will meet with friends Thursday evening, January 3, 2019, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa. Funeral service will be conducted by Pastor Kelley Pedersen on Friday afternoon, January 4, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon, Iowa. Interment will be in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter, Iowa on Monday, January 7, 2019, at 2:00 P.M.. The honorary casket bearers will be her grandchildren. The casket bearers will be Michael Petersen, Daniel S. Petersen, Joshua Petersen, Travis Petersen, Christopher Wedemeyer, and Jacob Carlson.