Eleanora Elly Petersen

In Loving Memory Of
Eleanora "Elly" Petersen

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, April 4, 2016, at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cordova with Rev. Michelle Kanzaki officiating. Interment will be in Zastrow Cemetery, Cordova. Visitation is on Sunday from 1-9 pm with the family greeting from 5-7pm at Lauber-Moore Funeral Home, Friend. Visitation also 1 hour prior to service at church on Monday. Memorials have been established to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church or in care of family.

Eleanora "Elly" (Larsen) Petersen was born at Fremont, Nebraska on August 27, 1921 to Rev. Knud and Otthea (Poulsen) Larsen, the 8th of 10 children and the youngest daughter. She passed away at Hebron, on Thursday, March 31, 2016 at the age of 94 years, 7 months and 4 days. As a baby, she moved with her family to Cushing, Wisconsin, returning to Kennard, Nebraska where she started school. In 1930, their family moved to Laurel where Elly graduated from high school with the class of 1939. She was baptized by Rev. James Petersen in Fremont, NE into the Lutheran Church and was confirmed by her father in 1934. After graduation, she and her sister accompanied their parents on an ocean voyage to Denmark, however, their vacation was cut short by the start of WWII. Returning to the United States, she worked in Chicago as a private "nannie". In 1940, she returned home to take care of her mother after surgery.

Elly was united in marriage October 18, 1941 by her father, Rev. Knud Larsen in Laurel, Nebraska to Monty C. Petersen. They lived in the North Loup area until Monty left in 1942 to serve in the armed forces during WWII. Gladys was born in 1942 and during the time Monty was gone, Elly took her daughter and went to live with her parents in Laurel.

When her dad got a call to serve the Cordova and Staplehurst Churches, she moved to Cordova with her parents, and her two children, Gladys and David who was born in 1944 shortly before they moved. After Monty was discharged, she and Monty began their life on a farm near Cordova. In 1947, triplets joined the family, Kenneth, Kermit and Katherine. Elly and Monty continued to make their home in the Cordova area until Monty's death in 1997 and Elly moved to the Friendship Terrace in Friend. After 14 years, Elly moved to the Garden Square Assisted living in Crete. When her health declined, she moved to Blue Valley Lutheran Home in Hebron, where she spent her last year.

Elly worked three years for Dr. Will and Dr. Coll Kamprath in Utica as a nanny. She later was employed at Warren Memorial Hospital in Friend as a nurse aid for 18 years. Elly then served as the first activity director at the Friend Manor until she retired in October of 1988 after 13 years.

She was a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Cordova, WELCA, and enjoyed singing with the choir. She was also a member of the Cordova American Legion Auxiliary, and the Golden Agers of Friend. Elly and Monty were charter members of Lutheran Family Campers and held many positions of leadership. In her spare time, she enjoyed the hobbies of reading, camping, music, crocheting, cards, aerobics and playing the piano for self-enjoyment.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Gladys and Martin Lake, Hebron, sons and daughters-in-law, David and Joan Petersen, Lincoln, Kenneth and Polly Petersen, Kearney, Kermit Petersen, Lincoln, nine grandchildren and spouses, Trisha Petersen and Paul Savick, Paul Petersen, all of Lincoln, Keith Lake, Hebron, Shawn and Lori Lake, Bayard, Heather and Tom Stearman, Omaha, Jeff Petersen and Gretchen Orbish, Seattle, WA, Jenny Petersen, San Francisco, CA, Sarah and Keith Kotschwar, Lantana, TX, Jason Petersen, Austin, TX, 10 great-grandchildren, Kayla and husband, Ben Warren, Kelsie, Bailee, Beau and Genevieve Lake, Kaiden and Cooper Pospichal, Davis and Connor Moody, Hayden Kotschwar, 1 great-great-grandson, Easton Warren, two sisters-in-law, Carolyn Larsen, Fremont, Bernie Larsen, Syracuse, numerous nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.

Eleanora is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Monty in 1997, daughter, Kathy in 1964, two sisters, Katherine Petersen and Kristine Jessen, and seven brothers, Jens, Paul, Ole, Johnny, Martin, Theodore and Knud "Gay" Larsen. Family will greet relatives and friends from 5-7 pm SERVICES Visitation Sunday, April 03, 2016
1:00 PM - 9:00 PM Lauber Moore Funeral Home - Friend
814 Maple Street
Friend, Nebraska 68359 Family will greet relatives and friends from 5-7 pm Funeral Service Monday, April 04, 2016
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
265 Helen
Cordova, NE 68330 Graveside Service Monday, April 04, 2016
11:30 AM Zastrow Cemetery
Rokeby Road and County Road 448
Cordova, NE 68330