Lucy Gertrude PETERSEN

Jorgen
May 14, 1926 - February 23, 2017

John was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the youngest son of Otto and Maren Petersen. Otto gave him the middle name "Tunny" after his favorite fighter, Gene Tunney, and his parents and sisters always called John "Tunny".

His father left Denmark the summer he was born to make a place for the family in Canada. Maren and the children followed in July of 1927, landing at Halifax, Nova Scotia. They travelled with Otto to their new home just southwest of Winnipeg, a 15 acre chicken ranch in the suburb of Charleswood. Every year for thirteen years Otto applied to immigrate to the USA and was denied.

John grew up on that small chicken ranch. His father built a new coop for the chickens and rebuilt the existing chicken shed into a small house for the family. It had three rooms, a kitchen, living room, and family bed room. The children slept on a three deck bunk bed, right next to a double bed for their parents. John had the bottom bunk, as he wet the bed as a youngster. The house had no electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing, but it was kept spotlessly clean and was often filled with music as his father played piano and violin. The kitchen stove was wood burning, and a second stove in the living room kept the house warm in the harsh Canadian winters. Tunny and his older sister Mary were close in age, so they were playmates and had to deliver eggs around Winnipeg. Sometimes they overcharged to raise 5 cents, enough to see a movie downtown. Otto worked hard throughout the Great Depression, doing carpentry and taking whatever odd jobs he could find. The family did not go hungry and did not need government assistance.

John's family finally gained permission to immigrate to the USA in April 1940, and they travelled by train to San Jose, California, where John's uncle, Pete Petersen, and aunt, Rie (Tante Rie) Jensen, had settled with their families. They moved into a house at 444 N. 11th St. in San Jose and John began school at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, and later, San Jose High school.

John enlisted in the Army in August 1944 at the age of 18, and became a Naturalized US Citizen in October. He trained at Camp Roberts and Fort Meade before shipping out to Europe aboard the RMS Queen Mary as an Army Airborne Glider Paratrooper, serving with the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment. He saw terrible combat during Operation VARSITY in March 1945, were his unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. John won the Bronze Star for his bravery. He turned 19 in May of 1945.

After the war John was stationed at Fort Campbell, KY, where he met his bride, Lucy Kemper. They were married and John stepped into the roll of step-father for her two children from a previous marriage. John and Lucy would eventually have four more children together.

John left the Army in 1948, and initially the family lived in San Jose. John worked in construction with his father and older brother, Pete. They two had an excavating business for many years. John and Lucy made their home in Santa Clara.

In 1966 John's brother Pete took his family to Russellville, AR and built the Spadra Boat dock. John and Lucy followed with their family in the early 1970's, spending time living at (and managing) the boat dock. In the 1980's John took a job with the school district in Clarksville, where he worked until he retired.

John will be remembered as a canterkerous personality who laughed freely and loved his family intensely. He struggled with a strong temper and could be incredibly stubborn. He loved practical jokes and, like his older sister Mary, was a hopeless collector of items both useful and useless. It must have been a characteristic they learned growing up in the Depression. John enjoyed hand making gifts for people. He and Lucy drove cross country many times to stay in touch with family. He is missed by a large extended family and the friends he left behind.

Lucy
March 10, 1927 - November 10, 2007

Lucy Gertrude Petersen was born on March 10, 1927, in Nashville, Tennessee, to the late Robert E. and Zona (Baker) Kemper. She died on Saturday, November 10, 2007, in Clarksville, Arkansas, at the age of 80. She worked as a nurses aide at the Clarksville Convalescent Home and at Countryside Manor Nursing Home.

Lucy is survived by her husband, Jorgen "John" Petersen; two daughters, Sue Hill of Reno, Nevada and Karen Ammons of Clarksville, Arkansas; four sons, Charles Murff of Nashville, Tennessee, John Petersen of Lamar, Arkansas, Robert Petersen of Cantonment, Florida, and Ronnie Petersen of Waynesboro, Mississippi; four sisters, Margaret Fykes, Ruth Grandbois, Barbara Anderson, and Margie Covington all of Nashville, Tennessee; three brothers, Robert Kemper, Jr., Paul Kemper, and James Kemper all of Nashville, Tennessee; fifteen grandchildren; and seven great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Robert E. and Zona (Baker) Kemper; and two brothers, Walter Kemper and Elvis Kemper.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m., Monday, November 12, 2007. The funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 13, 2007, at the Roller-Cox Funeral Chapel in Clarksville, with Bobby Kuonen officiating. Burial will be in the Mount Vernon Cemetery of Clarksville. Arrangements are under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home of Clarksville (479) 754-2201.

Casket Bearers will be Josh Petersen, Greg Ammons, Joe Basham, Ray Hill, William Fykes, and Dale Grandbois.

Honorary Casket Bearers will be all grandchildren.

Contributed on 10/14/21 by billsully060
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Record #: 1395905

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