- Date Of Birth: January 7, 1927
- Date Of Death: May 19, 2014
- State: Indiana
Rosemary V. “Rosie” Petersen, 87, of Elkhart, passed away Monday, May 19, at Elkhart General Hospital.
She was born on Jan. 7, 1927, in Clinton, Iowa, the youngest child of William T. Ryan and Vada (Hoover) Ryan.
She was a graduate of St. Mary’s High School, Clinton, in 1945. She studied piano and voice at Mount St. Clare College in Clinton, and was a member of its Glee Club.
On Oct. 14, 1950, she was united in marriage to Robert A. Petersen at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Clinton. The ceremony was performed by her brother, Father John V. Ryan.
Rosie was a homemaker and a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Also as Director of Religious Education she coordinated the Sunday school program at St. St. Thomas Parish from 1975 to 1979. Prior to that she taught Sunday school and assisted with the tutoring and music programs at both St. Thomas School and Weston School. When wintering in Florida she tutored children in a migrant workers camp in Immokalee, Fla., and volunteered in the X-ray Department at Lee County Memorial Hospital.
She is survived by her husband of 63 years, and three sons, Michael and his wife Margaret, David and Steven, all of Elkhart. Also surviving are five grandchildren, Lisa R. Mueller and her husband John of Noblesville, Laura R. Serge and her husband Frank of Chicago, Matthew W. Petersen of Noblesville, Ryan Q. Petersen of Fisher and Katherine L. Gilbert and her husband Brett of Chicago; and five great-grandchildren, Jenna Rose, Zachary John and Joseph Michael Mueller, all of Noblesville and Jackson Joseph and Lia Catherine Serge, both of Chicago.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two children; her oldest son, Douglas Alan Petersen in 1999, and her only daughter, Mary Ann Petersen in 2007. Also two brothers, Father John V. Ryan in 1992, and Dr. William M. Ryan in 1995 and a sister, Margaret Mary Ryan in 1993 preceded her.
Rosie was a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church and its rosary society and The Four Arts Club.
She was a former member of the Elkhart Elk’s Ladies, the YWCA Married Women’s Club, The Elkhart K of C Wives, the Forty Club and The Fort Myers (Fla.), Area Women’s Club.
