(picture)

Louise Maxine Kelso Petersen Schwartz, 82, of Minden, died Saturday, May 24, 2014, at Bethany Home in Minden.

Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, May 29, at the Westminster United Presbyterian Church in Minden. Interment will be in the Minden Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at the Layton-Craig Funeral Home in Minden.

Louise M. Kelso was born Nov. 2, 1931, in Pauline, to James and Iva Mae (Parker) Kelso. Her mother died on November 3, the day after giving birth, and Louise lived with her grandparents, James and Clarinda Parker, all through her school years.

She was baptized as an infant in the Methodist Church in Pauline, and later became a member of the same church.

She attended Pauline Public Schools through 10th grade, except for a short time when they lived in Ayr, during her second- and third-grade years. When Pauline’s high school closed in 1947, she attended school in Blue Hill, where she graduated in 1949. After graduation, she worked at Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Co. in Hastings.

On Aug. 22, 1952, she married Gordon L. Petersen in Cozad.

They made their home on the farm 3 miles southeast of Minden. The couple joined Westminster United Presbyterian Church. To this union were born five children: Connie, Wanda, Scott, Jill and Phil.

Mr. Petersen was killed in a car-train accident east of Minden on July 1, 1967. The family moved into Minden in September of that year. In 1968, Mrs. Petersen started working for McBride Realty, where she worked until January of 1973, when she took a job with Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Co.

On Feb. 19, 1983, she married Lawrence A. Schwartz.

The couple lived in Minden until April of 1995, when they moved to Gering. She continued to work for Kansas-Nebraska in Scottsbluff until December of 1996, when she retired. They moved back to their home in Minden.

Mr. Schwartz died at the long-term care unit of the Minden Hospital on May 19, 1999.

Mrs. Schwartz enjoyed her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed having coffee with her friends and playing cards. She volunteered at Bethany Home, Long-Term Care Unit and East Elementary Literacy Links. She was very active in activities at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

She is survived by her daughters: Connie Fish of Laramie, Wyo., Wanda Ruhge and husband Rick of Blair, and Jill Fritson and husband Steve of Minden; sons: Scott Petersen and wife Debbie of Gilbert, Ariz., and Phil Petersen and wife, Brenda, of Tipton, Iowa; six grandsons: Jason Fish, Ryan Ruhge and wife Lacey, Correy Petersen and wife Victoria, Zachary Petersen, Colton Petersen and Jacob Vedepo; five granddaughters: Leslie Craig and husband Josh, Erika Polzin and husband Jim, Courtney Petersen, Jennifer Favinger and husband Mark, and Laura Fritson; six great-grandchildren: Austen Churchill, Lexi Polzin, Hayden Ruhge, Rylan Ruhge, Alyssa Petersen and Wyatt Petersen; five stepchildren: Brenda Westerbuhr of Washington, Ark., Suzie Crouse and husband Delbert of Wahoo, John Schwartz and wife Linda of Kearney, Robert Schwartz and wife Sandi of Marion, N.D., and Rosalie Blankenbaker and husband Richard of Minden; brother-in-law Delray Petersen and wife Terri of Gold Canyon, Ariz.; sisters-in-law: Evelyn Petersen of Cozad and Jacqueline Schwartz of Minden; 14 step-grandchildren and a number of step-great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews and their families; and many wonderful friends.

Preceding her in death, besides her parents, grandparents and husbands, were son-in-law Ron Fish; great-grandson Rowan Ruhge; an aunt and uncle, a half- brother, a step-sister and a step-brother.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~