Peter J. Petersen, 92, Died Here Tuesday, July 25

Peter J. Petersen, 92-year-old Blair man, who has been a resident of this county for 73 years, died at his home at 1330 Lincoln Street Tuesday, July 25th.

Mr. Petersen was born February 24, 1869 in Thorning, Jutland, Denmark and came to this county as a young man in 1888. He came directly to Washington county and worked as a hired hand on a farm in the south part of this county.

After being in America for ten years he was married to Anna C. Abdersen, in Omaha, and for five years he worked in the meat packing plants of South Omaha. His pay, at that time, was 17c per hour, although the workers were striking for 19c. He also spent a year in the Canadian woods.

In 1904 he began farming for himself on the Missouri bottoms five miles north of Blair. Four years later, in 1908, he became manager of the county Poor Farm, a post which he held until 1916.

The next 24 years he spent on a farm 3 miles south of Herman where a son, Robert Petersen, still resides.

He retired in 1951 and moved to his Lincoln Street home in Blair.

Mr. Petersen is survived by his wife, Anna C., and by six children. They are Mrs. Lillian Jacobsen, Los Angeles; Robert, of Herman; Mrs. Alma Spong, of Denver, Colorado; Mrs. Helen McDonald, Denver; Raymond Petersen of Des Moines; Roland Petersen, of Omaha. There are also 21 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 29th, at the Bendorf Funeral Home. The Rev. George Pallesen will officiate and burial will be made in the Blair Cemetery.

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