Jeanene I. Petersen

Jeanene I. Petersen, the daughter of Nels Christian and Lillie Mina (Jensen) Abildtrup, was born January 7, 1933, at her parents’ home west of Audubon, Iowa and died December 15, 2015, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa at the age of 82 years, 11 months, and 8 days.
Jeanene was baptized and confirmed at the Ebenezer Lutheran Church west of Audubon. She attended rural Audubon County Schools then graduated from the Audubon High School as the Class Salutatorian with the Class of 1951. Jeanene was employed at the Audubon County Court House for several years. She moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she was employed at an Addressograph-multigraph business for a short time before returning to Audubon, Iowa.
On April 8, 1956, she was united in marriage to Allan Lee Petersen at the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa. They were blessed with four daughters Terri, Cyndi, Tracy, and Kristi. They farmed west of Exira and grew row crops and raised livestock. Jeanene helped Allan farm, raised chickens, but most importantly raised their family. They later moved into Exira and Jeanene was a home maker for the most part, but did help several of the local businesses when needed.
Jeanene was a member of the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Exira Fire Department Flame Gals. She enjoyed playing cards and was a member of a card club. Jeanene was an excellent seamstress and made many of the clothes for Allan and the girls. She loved to dance and read. She was an excellent cook and especially enjoyed having special time with her friends over coffee.
Preceding her in death was her daughter Terri Petersen; her parents; her father-in-law and mother–in-law Verner and Marie Petersen; her sister Connie; her brothers-in-law Franklin Wahlert and Dennis Petersen; her sister-in-law Judy Abildtrup; and a nephew Tony Mendenhall.
Survivors include her husband Allan Lee “Pete” Petersen of Exira, Iowa; her daughters Cyndi and husband Keith Nelson of Carroll, Iowa, Tracy and husband Richard Johnston of Exira, Iowa and Kristi and husband Tom Simpson of Brayton, Iowa; her grandchildren and great grandchildren Sara and husband Jon Glick and their son Anders of Seattle, Washington, Ryan Nelson and Ryam Warnke and her daughter Jaya of Carroll, Iowa, Bethany Johnston, Meg and husband David Schmidt and their daughter Sylvie all of Exira, Iowa, Justice Simpson and Kasie Simpson both of Des Moines, Iowa, and Tate Simpson and Riley Sliester of Maryville, Missouri; her brother Myron “Max” and wife Linda Abildtrup of Tucson, Arizona; her sisters-in –law Colleen and husband Fletcher Nichols of Atlantic, Iowa and Shirley and husband Royal Bierbaum of Griswold, Iowa; her brother-in-law David and wife Carol Petersen of Ames, Iowa; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral service will be conducted by Pastor Steven Frock and Pastor Dwayne Ferguson on Friday, December 18, 2015, at 10:30 A.M. at the Exira Lutheran Church in Exira, Iowa. Interment will be in the Exira Cemetery in Exira, Iowa. The casket bearers will be Tom Simpson, Tate Simpson, Keith Nelson, Ryan Nelson, Richard Johnston, and David Schmidt. The family will meet with friends Thursday evening December 17, 2015, at 5:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira, Iowa.