A Celebration of Life Service for 85-year-old Berniece A. Peters of Prior Lake, Minnesota, was held on Saturday morning, April 4, 2015, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation of Prior Lake.
A graveside service was held Saturday afternoon, April 4, 2015, at her interment in Butterfield City Cemetery in rural Butterfield, next to her husband.
Reverend Tim Hall officiated at the services. Berniece’s grandchildren served as pall bearers.
Berniece Anna Peters passed away the afternoon of Sunday, March 29, 2015.
It was a beautiful spring day on April 14, 1929 in Butterfield when Bernhard and Mary (Mausling) Meyer celebrated the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Berniece Anna. She was the eldest of two children and loved growing up on the family farm with her brother Maynard “Ben.”
Berniece was 11 when her family moved to Mountain Lake, Minnesota, in the spring of 1941. Their farm was next to the Peters’ farm. It was on Good Friday that her family went over to visit and meet their new neighbors. Berniece immediately hit it off with one of the neighbor boys, Peter Peters. They started going to parties and basketball games together. On her 16th birthday, she and Pete went on their first official date, and they were together ever since. Berniece attended Mountain Lake Public High School through the 10th-grade. She then began working on the family farm.
Berniece and Peter were engaged on Christmas Eve 1946, and they exchanged wedding vows on January 16, 1948 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake. They were blessed with three wonderful sons, Michael, Keith and Lauren.
Pete and Berniece raised their family on a farm in Butterfield until 1968, when they built a house in town. Throughout the years, their family enjoyed living in a small town where they were involved in the Butterfield Community Bible Church. The boys were also very active in athletics. Berniece and Pete were avid sports fans, and rarely missed a football, basketball or baseball game. As a family, they also enjoyed an annual trip up north. They would rent a cabin and enjoy swimming, fishing and being together as a family.
Once the boys were off to school, Berniece began working at Butterfield Foods. She was a knife sharpener and worked there for 20 years until her retirement. She was also known as the local wedding cake decorator. Berniece was very talented and made cakes for all family special occasions.
After they retired, Pete and Berniece enjoyed making crafts together. He would cut the wood, and she would paint it. Berniece also made jewelry and painted ceramics.
After Pete passed away, Berniece moved a couple hours north to be closer to their children and grandchildren, leaving Berniece to start a new life by herself. She eventually settled at Keystone in Prior Lake in 2008. She made many wonderful friends and received excellent care during her time at Keystone.
Although Berniece was known to be quiet, she was also very social. She was known as “sweetheart” to many, and a great listener. She was a strong woman; Berniece was a rock for her family and a constant support for her boys and husband. Berniece was a faithful and prayerful woman who loved the Lord. Faith, family and friends were the most important things in her life.
Berniece is survived by her sons, Keith (Gail) Peters and Lauren (Stacy) Peters; daughter-in-law, Kathy Peters; grandchildren, Megan (Noah) Fuller, Brenda (Nate) Brisley, Bradley Peters, Jordan (Megan) Peters, Kaley Peters, Jack Peters and Luke Peters; great-grandchild, Elizabeth Fuller; sister-in-law, Sharon Meyer and other loving relatives and friends.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Peter Peters; son, Michael Peters; brother, Maynard “Ben” Meyer and her parents.d
The Peters family was served with honor, care and compassion by Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation.
