I, Arlen Kent “Arnie” Peterson was born in the old Amery Hospital on April 15th, 1950.

I was Clarence R and Lucille M Shortess Peterson’s child #8 of 11. The family farm at that time was on County Road H in the Town of Lincoln which is where I was baptized by Pastor Olaf Braaseth in September of 1950. Shortly after my birth the family moved to the Hillberg farm in the Town of Balsam Lake and in 1957 to their final farming location on the Lindgren farm in the Town of Lincoln. During this time, I was confirmed at Balsam Lutheran Church in Rural Amery where I experienced the majority of my Worship experiences and where I found Christ. I attended grade 1 in the Amery School, 2 thru 6 at the Volga school and the rest of his schooling occurring in Amery. After graduation I attended the University of Wisconsin at River Falls for a short time, constantly realizing and being reminded that this boy had an anxiety problem in big crowds. On the day I left the University I told one of my professors that someday I was going to come back and show everyone how intelligent I was. I held that belief thru many years of work in Cooperatives and until I became an operations manager at an injection molding facility in Stillwater, MN. It was on a nice day in May of 1999 that I went to River Falls to pick up my oldest son, Eric, completing his first year at the University that I experienced another of those nasty anxiety attacks while sitting in my car next to his dorm watching young people scurry all over like ants. Then and there, I swore that I would never return to the sight. However, with constant handholding of my wife we did return to RF many times for Kaydi’s celebrations. While Ryan was in college at Duluth, we attended several events in Duluth and I never felt the anxiety. Something I always wanted to discover was the “Why” part of this but never did. But I guess I was never meant to be a RF student.

I married Gail Carlson on May 31, 1975 at First Lutheran Church in Amery. Gail gave me three very superb, intelligent and hard-working children to call my own. Although our marriage did not survive, Gail, I thank you for those three-best gifts ever! On September 23rd, 1995 I was married to Linda Buckner DeNucci in Cameron, WI. Along with that marriage came two step-sons and a step-Grandson.

I worked a lot of different jobs, had a lot of fun at most, and wish I could go back to things like hauling Dairy Queen mix all over, washing dishes at Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp, hauling fertilizer all over the Earth it seems, milking cows in a parlor, driving tractor for hours pulling discs, haybines etc., doing hiring interview’s and explaining to young people what it takes to be a valued employee, doing positive employee performance review’s (even ones that were not totally positive became positive ones over time), writing operational practices and procedures, doing some very fun radio broadcasting, doing safety surveys and mowing a lot of grass.

All of that said my most favorite times were the early mornings alone in my office checking inventory and pricing etc., and the deep-down discussions that took place, whether in the workplace concerning successes and/or failures, in the coffee shop concerning old neighbors’ remembrances, in the café’s discussing life in our “Brain Society” (BS) meetings or in Bible Studies trying to unlock the mystery of Samuel or Revelation! These experiences led me to meet many, many people in my life, most of whom I’ve worked hard to remember and appreciate. I could name names for years without stopping, but one thing you can rest assured of, if I have ever said to you, ‘God loves you and so do I’, that means that I have deeply appreciated making your acquaintance!

I guess I am well known for being asked to sing at many funerals. I have no idea how many and it matters not. But I do know this, I’ve never sang at any without Christ standing in my shoes doing the work for me. And rest assured this is most certainly so!

You will see that my pallbearers list is rather long, not because I will be so hard to carry, one person will handle that, but because there are many people who have made a difference in my life. Most of these are unknown to my extended family and even some unknown to my children. To those people on that list, I hope and pray that I have made some small difference in your lives also!

As I write this I am preceded in death by, two sets of Grandparents, a step-Grandfather, my parents, two sets of in-laws, my sister Kathleen, sisters-in-law Jeanette Buckner, Jan Peterson, Sheena Peterson, brothers-in-law Pete Dahm, Frank Johannsen, and James Terhark, a nephew Jason Peterson, and cousins Al Anderson, Shelly Andrie, Sharon Hansen, Debra Reigel and Vincent Hansen Jr. Also, all of my many uncles and aunts with the exception of aunts Bev Anderson, Jan Hansen and Bernice Fox. I am also preceded by life-long friend, Dale Butler and my very special non-family friend Jakki Snyder.

I leave behind: my wife and soulmate Linda, children Eric, Ryan and his lovely wife Betsy, Kaydi and her husband, (my good friend) Cory Sobottka, my step-son Mike DeNucci, (my friend) step-son Brian DeNucci and his friend, Kimberly Dawn Campbell (my friend), grandchildren Michael DeNucci and his wife, Brittany, Amaya DeNucci, Dakota and Clayton Sobottka, Lucy and Lila Peterson, and my wonderful great granddaughter, Lilli Mae.  Also, my siblings, by the way, all of whom I could not have lived without! Gerald (my first role model as a school age person), Janet Johannsen, Gordon and his wife Janet, Duane, Karen and her husband James Riley, Rodney and his wife Nancy, Cheryl and her husband Steven Volgren, Lynette and her husband Lloyd Lenart and Brian and his partner Scott Synstelien. Brother and Sister-in-law Al and Barb Nelson and brother-in-law Bob Buckner. I also must mention some very special people whom I unwillingly leave behind: my former daughter-in-law’s Angela DeNucci, Justina Peper, Kelly Appel and Cheryl DeNucci, and young people whom I welcome to always call me Grandpa: Tiffany Bliese, Courtney Holte and her children, Mason, Meiley and Marcus, Craig Johnson and his daughters Kimberly and Ralena, Kyle (Ivy) Johnson and their children Kyle Jr, Jasmine, Quintin and twins LaVonne and Jasper. Also, Chris Johnson and his daughter Ariana, and Samantha Johnson and her son Eli, Brooklyn Wilger, Kaneesha Bauer, Nicole Glatczak (pronounced glah-check) and her children Kaylee Jo Koziol and Anthony Glatczak. Also Haley Appel, Amaya Appel, Xander Kahl and Eily Candler (pronounced Eye-lee). Also, former sisters-in-laws Becky Peterson and Mary Peterson, and former brother-in-law, Tom Wols Sr. I also leave a whole bunch of cousins, nieces and nephews and many friends, all of whom I love.

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Friday, July 15,2022 from 3 to 7 pm at Balsam Lutheran Church with funeral services on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at 10 am from Balsam Lutheran Church.

Last Update: Jul 08, 2022 7:15 am CDT