Sarah Arla Peterson

GARNER - Sarah A. Peterson, 91, of Garner died Monday (June 27, 2011) at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mason City with Rev. Mark Lavrenz officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 P.M., Tuesday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., in Garner and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.

Sarah Arla Peterson, the daughter of Albert and Etta (Towsley) Coe, was born June 2, 1920 at Mason City. She graduated from Mason City High School in 1939. On July 14, 1946, she was married to Jacob Legler by the Rev. C.A. Hinz at the parsonage of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mason City. They lived in Mason City where they raised their three daughters, Dee Etta, Roseann and Arla. After Jake passed away on April 4, 1963, she continued to live in Mason City. On January 27, 1990, she was married to Clair Peterson at Okoboji. They made their home in Britt. Clair passed away in September of 2000. In December of 2001, Sarah moved to Prairie View Apartments in Garner and in November of 2006 to Concord Care Center. She enjoyed embroidery work and gave many hand embroidered gifts to family and friends. She also enjoyed reading books and playing cards games at the Britt Community Center with her husband, Clair.

She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner and a former member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Mason City.

Sarah is survived by her three daughters, Dee Etta (Mike) Hollatz of Garner, Roseann (Mark) Boehnke of Garner and Arla (Steve) Juhl of Mason City; ten grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Marie Miller of Mason City and Mary Coe of Colorado; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her two husbands, Jacob and Clair; a son-in-law, Francis Murray; her parents; and three brothers, Lester Towsley and Donald and Arnold Coe.