Lorraine W Weltzin Peterson, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother went to be with her Lord Jesus May 28, 2019. Lorraine was born April 26, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. In the summer of 1949 Lorraine met the love of her life, Earl, while on a bus returning from Mount Carmel, a summer camp of the Lutheran Bible Institute.
They had 70 adventurous years together. Lorraine is a graduate of Washburn High School, Minneapolis, where she was the class valedictorian. She graduated from Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in 1947 as a Registered Nurse.
While in nursing school she participated in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, a training program for military nurses in World War 2. In 1949 she graduated with a B.A. degree from Augsburg College, with majors in Christianity and English. She attended the Minneapolis Lutheran Bible Institute.
During her times at LBI and Augsburg College she served as school nurse. In 1950 Earl proposed to Lorraine by asking her to go to Pakistan with him as a missionary. They were married December 15, 1950.
While Earl attended seminary, she worked as a private duty nurse. Before they went overseas they served 3 congregations, all in Minnesota: Calvary in Rapidan, Jackson Lake in Amboy, and Grace in Dawson. In 1964 Lorraine and Earl, along with their two grade school children, Becky and Tim, left for a year of language study in Paris, France, before continuing on to the Republic of Central Africa.
While there she used her nursing skills to assist the African nurses and helped with the church’s women’s programs. Earl and Lorraine were in Central Africa for a total of 8 years. While Earl was the “pastor” in many different parishes in Minnesota, one constant that we have heard from parishioners is that they were a team, Lorraine particularly being the one attentive to any guests or special needs.
She loved to sing in the choirs and helped musically in other ways. Other congregations that they served during their ministry in the United States together included Trinity and Grue Lutheran Churches, Ashby; St. Matthew’s, Evan and Bethany, Morgan; Rock Valle and American, Echo; and Long Lake, St. James and First in Butterfield. In retirement Earl and Lorraine moved to Hastings, Minnesota.
They spent their winters in Rockport, Texas, where they were very involved at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Lorraine loved her family. Her grandkids and great grandkids were the light of her life.
When John was deployed to Iraq she wrote to him once a week. All she could talk about for the last 3 months of her life was the arrival of her newest great grandchild. She loved memorizing Scripture, singing, swimming, walking with friends, their winters in Texas, and most of all, Mount Carmel Bible Camp, Alexandria.
Over and over the refrain was, do you know about Mount Carmel? If someone said “no”, she’d say, “I’ll pay half to help you go”. If the family had kids, she’d say, “I’ll pay for your kids to go”.
One year there were over 50 people there because of her. The woman for whom frugality was an art form simply loved being able to give money away. And many were blessed by her generosity.
Lorraine lived in Chicago as a young child, but she spent the summers with her grandparents, Even and Bertina Leithe, who lived on a farm south of Battle Lake. In 2012 Lorraine and Earl moved to Battle Lake, first to Lakeview Senior Living and then to the Good Samaritan Home. They joined First Lutheran Church in Battle Lake, the church where all her grandparents had been members.
Lorraine is survived by her beloved husband, Rev. Earl Vernon Peterson, of Battle Lake, MN, children, Rev. Rebecca Sullivan, Rev.
Timothy Peterson, (Donadee) grandchildren, Nathan Peterson (Maria), John Peterson (Whitney), Elise Thibodeaux (Alvin), Matthew Sullivan, Daniel Sullivan (Annelisa Steeber), great grandchildren, Caleb, Joshua, Abram, Ava Lorraine, and Ada Mae, and sister, Ruth Swanson. She was preceded in death by her parents, Rev. Oscar and Myrtle Weltzin, son-in-law, Paul Sullivan, and special aunts, Evelyn Leithe, and Mabel Berquist.
May God bless the memory of Lorraine Peterson! In lieu of flowers Memorials can be made to Mount Carmel Ministries, Alexandria, MN, First Lutheran Church or The Good Samaritan Society, both of Battle Lake, MN. Funeral Service: 11 AM, Friday May 31, 2019, at First Lutheran Church in Battle Lake.
Visitation: Thursday from 4 to 6 PM, with a 6 PM Hymn Sing, (Earl will only be at the Hymn Sing) at the Glende-Nilson Funeral Chapel in Battle Lake and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment: First Lutheran Cemetery in Battle Lake Arrangements: with Glende-Nilson Funeral Home in Battle Lake Condolences:GlendeNilson.
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