1925-JUNE PETERS-2019
June Ilene (Gaiser) Peters died on March 6, 2019 at Maple Lawn Senior Care in Fulda, Minnesota at 93 years of age. She was born on June 14, 1925, in Worthington, Minnesota to Fred and Azalia Gaiser. June enjoyed growing up along the shores of Lake Ocheda where her parents farmed, and the love of the outdoors remained with her always. She graduated high school in Worthington, Minnesota, in 1943. She was baptized as a teen at Min-Ia-Dak Bible Camp.
After high school graduation, June moved to San Francisco, California where she worked as a typist and secretary for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and for the Red Cross during the last two years of World War II. When her high school sweetheart, Virgil “Pete”, returned from the war they were married on July 16, 1945 in Worthington.
After marriage, June and Pete purchased the Bigelow General store and the Peters’ family moved to Bigelow to live. They owned the store and butcher shop for nineteen years. Life between the store and their six children kept them busy! June’s main focus was always her family and she was always there for the kids and all of their neighborhood friends.
In 1966, the family moved to Aurelia, Iowa when Pete started working for the USDA. Shortly after, the family moved to Hartley, Iowa and then ultimately to Fremont, Nebraska following Pete’s USDA tour of duty as a meat inspector. During this time, June worked as a homemaker and part time nursing assistant. Pete and June fully retired in 1989.
June and Pete belonged to the Methodist Church and enjoyed extensive traveling with their Airstream Camper Club. They logged thousands of miles traveling from Alaska to Mexico, California to Florida, visiting friends and family. “Home” was wherever they parked their Airstream! June enjoyed birding and hiking and anywhere it was sunny and warm. She was an avid reader, even until her last days, and was rarely seen without a book at hand. June and Pete also enjoyed playing Bridge and square dancing with their dance clubs, “The Turkey Trotters” and “The Starlighters”.
June, was a great adventurer who, though she acted like a house cat, was really a summer bird who was born to be constantly on the fly. She was well loved and is already much missed.
June had four sisters—Margaret Coop, Ruth Flynn, Berdene Brusato, and Lois Garcia, and a brother, Wayne Gaiser. Her younger sister Lois is her only surviving sibling. June was also preceded in death by her loving husband of seventy one years, Virgil, and her parents Azalia and Fred Gaiser.
June is survived by daughter Linda (Daniel) Beerman of Iona, Minnesota; son Thomas Peters of Bigelow, Minnesota; son Jeffrey (Jane) Peters of Yuma, Arizona; son Bruce (Angie) Peters of Georgetown, Texas; daughter Julie (Scott) Weber of Logan, Iowa; and son Kent (Susanne) Peters of Blair, Nebraska.
June is survived by fourteen grandchildren: Ranell Beerman; Melissa (Ryan) Elder; Mark (Heather) Beerman; Peter (Krista) Beerman; Jenny Peters; Jake Peters; Kirstjen (Josh) Pratt; Shannon (Keith) Klingen; Sarah (Justin) Miller; Katie (Bobby) Morton; Hannah (Brock) Skow; Molly (Will) Zoellner; Bethany (Chris) Tomasek; and Carolyn Peters. June is also survived by twenty three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 15, 2019 at the Worthington Christian Church, 1501 Douglas Ave., Worthington, Minnesota. The family will receive friends from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. preceding the funeral at the same location. Lunch and fellowship will follow the funeral, and interment will occur in the afternoon at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Little Rock, Iowa. Condolences may be sent to the family at: 10753 Knauf Ave., Iona, MN 56141.
Benson Funeral Home in Worthington is in charge of the arrangements.
