Mary Peterson

Mary Peterson, age 66, of Fosston, MN, passed away on Wednesday (December 4th) at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday (December 10th) at New Journey Church in Fosston with Pastor Mark Erickson officiating. Interment will be in Cross Lake Cemetery, rural Fosston. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service on Monday (December 9th) at the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home in Fosston. There will also be reviewal for one hour prior to the service on Tuesday at the church. Arrangements are with the Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral Home of Fosston and messages of condolence may be sent at carlinhoialmen.com.Mary Elizabeth Ihrke was born on September 20, 1947 in Harvard, Illinois to parents Charles and Elizabeth (Waling) Ihrke. She was born on her grandpa Ralph's birthday, the first Ihrke grandchild. In the summer of 1949, Mary moved with her family to a farm south of Lengby. She attended country school and graduated from Mahnomen High School in 1965 as Valedictorian of her class. Following high school, she attended and graduated from Bemidji State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Technology. Her first job was at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. After a year, she started work at the Fosston Municipal Hospital managing the lab. Mary was united in marriage to Marvin Peterson on June 9, 1973 at Kingo Lutheran Church in Fosston. After their marriage, they lived and raised their daughter, Elizabeth, in Fosston.Mary served as the director of the lab for many years and dedicated 40 years of service to First Care Medical Services until her last day of work on May 13, 2010. During those 40 years, she also served as the secretary of the original foundation board as well as director of the Capital Campaign to build the surgery center. As written in the 13 Towns after her retirement, "quiet, gentle Mary has left an indelible footprint on health care services in Fosston." At that time, there was also an official proclamation by the Mayor of Fosston, proclaiming May 19, 2010 Mary Peterson day. In addition to her dedication to her work, she was equally devoted to her church. She was an active lifetime member of the Lengby Baptist Church where she serviced for many years as Treasurer and also taught Sunday School. She will be dearly missed by her church family.She was also active in the community by serving for five years as a member of the Athenian Club; two years as vice president and two as president. Mary received the "Fosston Service Award" given by the Fosston Community Club for her lifetime of service to the community. She also spent many hours on sewing projects including quits, blankets, caps and sweaters for those in need. She quietly used her time, talents and resources to be of service to others.Mary was an excellent seamstress sewing many articles of clothing including wedding and bridesmaid dresses. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, reading, gardening, and flowers. Her favorite past times included enjoying a good cup of coffee with friends and nature in her back yard. Most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her family. Her granddaughter, Caroline Elizabeth, was the sunshine of her life.Mary passed away on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 following a courageous battle with cancer at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks with her family at her side at the age of 66 years.Survivors include her daughter, Elizabeth (Matthew) Zasoski of Sauk Rapids, MN; her granddaughter, Caroline Zasoski; one sister, Charlene Ihrke of East Grand Forks, MN; one brother, Frederic Ihrke of Winona, MN; sister-in-law, Alice (David) Peterson of McGregor, MN; one niece, Marcia (Darren) Lemmerman of Stacy, MN; and two nephews, Bryan (Kara) Ihrke of Gilbert, AZ; Craig (Jill) Peterson of East Bethel, MN and best friend Gloria Illies of Fosston, MN. Numerous cousins and other relatives also survive.She was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin on July 20, 2000; her parents and nephew, Steve Peterson.