Funeral services for 100-year-old Ruth Hansen of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, formerly of Dell Rapids, South Dakota, will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, January 28, 2017, at the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids Chapel in Dell Rapids.
Visitation will be at the church two hours prior to the start of the service.
Kahler Funeral Home of Dell Rapids is handling the arrangements.
Ruth passed away on Tuesday, January 24, at the Good Samaritan Society of Mountain Lake-The Village.
Ruth Louise Pfefferle was born to William and Louise (Kessler) Pfefferle on their farm near Rock Valley, Iowa, on September 5, 1916. The family moved to a farm near Lyons, South Dakota in the early 1930’s and Ruth graduated from high school in Lyons.
She married Vernon S. Peterson in October of 1942 in Luverne, Minnesota. The following two years were spent in Detroit, Michigan while Vernon served as a Captain in the military. During that time they had two sons and then moved back to Colman, South Dakota for Vernon to begin his Veterinary practice in 1945. During the next 12 years, the couple had two more sons.
After Vernon passed away suddenly in December 1957, Ruth moved with her four sons to Dell Rapids to raise them closer to her family. She was a wonderful, loving mother as her sons finished school and started their own families.
In July 1980, Ruth married Harold Hansen. The two of them enjoyed each others’ families and going to old-time dances sometimes two-to-three times a week. Ruth loved to cook and bake, and especially loved growing tomatoes and canning them in the summer. Ruth loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; telling stories of her youth and recalling memories of her life on the farm.
She was a long-time member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids.
Celebrating her life are her sons, William Peterson of Lead, South Dakota, Vernon (Cheryl) Peterson of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, Raymond Peterson of Mankato, Minnesota and James Peterson of Mountain Lake; step-children, Judy(Reed) Grace and Mary (Allen) Buller, both of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Harold (Pat) Hansen of Garland, Texas, Diane (Lyndon) Oleson, Cheryl (Wayne) Leister of Garretson, South Dakota and Bill (Lori) Hansen of Sioux Falls; 23 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Vernon S. Peterson; husband, Harold G. Hansen; sister, Vera Munk and brother, Nathan Pfefferle.
Memorials may be directed to the Dell Rapids Lutheran Church Chapel Restoration Fund.