John P Petersen
John P. Petersen, age 87 of Durand, died October 8, 2010 at his home in Durand.
John was born on September 26, 1923 in Minneapolis, MN. He was the son of Peter and Lily (Mortensen) Petersen. John grew up in Minneapolis and later moved with his family to Menomonie. He graduated from Menomonie High School in 1941. John joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and served Iran as a MP protecting Russian supply routes. After the service, John worked various jobs in the area before becoming a meat cutter at the Red & White Store in downtown Durand. John married Mary Lou Rassbach on June 28, 1952 in Menomonie. After marriage they continued to live and raise their family in Durand. In 1978 John purchased the Red & White Store which became Durand Star Market. John closed the store in 1982 and worked for the school district for several years.
In his younger years, John enjoyed fishing. In his later years, John would go down to Bauer Brothers Garage and have coffee with the guys and frequent other local businesses. He was also an avid reader. John loved to watch the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings. He served on the District 1 Vocational Technical District, now known as Chippewa Valley Technical College. He was a founder of the Association for Retarded Citizens. John was also a founding member of the Faith Lutheran Church and also served as Council President, council member and custodian. Most of all, he loved to spend time with family and friends.
John is survived by his six sons, Brian (Julie) of Eau Claire, Jeffrey of New Richmond, David of Deming, NM, Paul (Lori) of Holman, Jim (Kim) of Rothchild and Joel of Durand, seven grandchildren, Jennifer (Fiancé Andrew), Brandon, Phillip, Mitchell, Eric, Jocelyn and Emily, one brother-in-law, Harold Mork, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Mary Lou in 2002, three sisters, Lucille Anderson, Marjorie Mork and June Smetana and a brother in infancy.