Mildred Peterson of Bloomington, formerly of Kingston, died Sunday, Aug. 17, 2003, at her daughter’s home in Bloomington. The funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Lake Union Evangelical Covenant Church in rural South Haven with Rev. Mike McCain officiating. Interment will be at Lake Arvilla Cemetery in Dassel. Visitation will be Thursday, Aug. 21, from 4-8 p.m. at the Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel. There will be a one-hour visitation prior to the service at the church on Friday. Mildred Phyllis Counter was born Nov. 23, 1914, in Edmonton, Alberta, to John and Ruth H. (Wilson) Counter. She grew up in the Minneapolis area and attended Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis before she moved to Moline, Ill., where she graduated from high school. Mildred attended the University of Minnesota. Mildred was confirmed in Bethesda Evangelical Free Church in Minneapolis. Recently, she was a member of the Lake Union Evangelical Covenant Church where she was active in the churchwomen’s organization. On Feb. 10, 1950, Mildred married Willard Gust Peterson in Minneapolis. Together they made their home in the Twin Cities, in Marian, Iowa, and from 1951 to 1972 in Minneapolis. From 1972 to 2001 Mildred and Willard lived in the Kingston area. Mildred worked as a dental assistant for Mauritz Larson. She loved to spend time with her family and friends. She enjoyed the time she spent with her granddaughter Meghan and Meghan’s friends (her other “grandchildren”). She was a long-time member of the Kingston Garden Club and the Kingston American Legion Auxiliary where she helped with the annual turkey and fish suppers, Bingo, the Memorial Day service and other events. Mildred was a second mother to her brother Lloyd’s children. Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, brothers John, Richard and Lloyd, and sister Verle Ostenson. She is survived by her daughter Carol Jahnke of Bloomington, granddaughter Meghan Jahnke, sister Margie (and Wesley) Stoltz of Azusa, Calif., and by many nieces and nephews. She also gave a mother’s love to Laurie Christiansen.
