Ardella Berniece Petersen

Ardella Berniece Petersen, the daughter of Richard and Johanna (Borkowski) Lehwald, was born August 22, 1937, in Manning, Iowa and died August 5, 2022, at the Atlantic Specialty Care in Atlantic, Iowa at the age of 84 years, 11 months, and 13 days.
Ardella was baptized and confirmed at the Trinity Lutheran Church southwest of Gray, Iowa. She attended rural schools then graduated from the Audubon High School with the Class of 1956. Following graduation, Ardella and a friend moved to Denver, Colorado where she was employed as a Dental Assistant for a few short years. Later she returned to Audubon.
On March 14, 1959, she was united in marriage to Jerry Dale Petersen at the Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Audubon County. They were blessed with three sons Richard, Randall, and Jay. They purchased a farm north of Exira, Iowa where Ardella helped Jerry Dale grow row crops and raise livestock. Ardella studied and received her Certified Nurse’s Assistant certificate and was employed at the Exira Care Center for over 24 years. Jerry Dale suffered a stroke in 1985. They sold the farm and moved into Exira in 1988. During this time Ardella took care of Jerry Dale until he moved to the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa in September of 1995. Jerry Dale died May 26, 2005. Ardella lived in her home until she moved to the Atlantic Specialty Care in June of 2021.
Ardella was a long-time member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Audubon, Iowa. While they were on the farm, Ardella was a member of several neighborhood clubs. Ardella loved dogs and always had a dog at home. She also loved to watch the birds as they gathered around the bird feeder.
Preceding her in death was her husband Jerry Dale Petersen; her parents; an infant brother Walter Lehwald; her brother Merlon “Buck” and wife Pat Lehwald; her sister Elaine and husband Larry Hogan; and her brothers-in-law Richard E. and wife Joann Petersen and Melvin Musfeldt.
Survivors include her sons Richard Petersen of Exira, Iowa, Randall Petersen of Glenwood, Iowa, and Jay Petersen of Exira, Iowa; her granddaughter Olivia Petersen and her significant other Travis Saint both of Omaha, Nebraska; her great granddaughters Gia Saint and Willow Petersen both of Omaha, Nebraska and Jason and Kason McCool both of Atlantic, Iowa; her sister Melba Musfeldt of Phoenix, Arizona, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Private graveside services will be conducted by Pastor Mike Bodkins on Tuesday morning, August 9, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. at the Exira Cemetery in Exira, Iowa.