Surnames: Dugenske, Fosdick, Franklin, Kaiser, Kocian, Kruse, Kunze, Lang, Panten, Peterson, Redmann, Scanlon, Schmitt, Sobeck, Sundermeyer, Zera

----Source: The Tribune - Phonograph (Abbotsford, Clark Co., WI), Wednesday, October 22, 2008, Vol. 48, No. 43, page 22

Peterson, Rita (Schmitt) (March 18, 1918 - October 14, 2008)

Rita A. Peterson, 90, Abbotsford, died Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at the Golden Living Continental Center, Abbotsford, Wis.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Oct 18 at St Bernard’s Catholic Church, Abbotsford, Wis. Father Benjamin Franklin will preside. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Colby with Mrs. Peterson’s grandchildren serving as pallbearers.

Friends may call from 4-8:00 p.m. Friday at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford, where the Rosary will be prayed at 7:00 p.m., friends may also call one hour prior to service time at the church on Saturday.

Rita was born March 18, 1918, in Colby, the daughter of Alphonse and Gertrude (Kaiser) Schmitt. She attended Riverside School in the Town of Hull.

On July 22, 1940, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, she was united in marriage to Lawrence Peterson.

She was an active member of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church and was honored by the Deanery as a Women of Light. She also helped sew over 700 quilts for the Missions and made rosaries to give away.

Rita is survived by her children, Priscilla (Narcis) Dungenske, Princeton, Duane (Rosaline) Peterson, Neillsville, Kenneth (Judy) Peterson, Edgar, Arden (Marie) Peterson, Abbotsford, Beth (James) Panten, Markesan, Brian (Maria) Peterson, Medford, Theresa (Raymond) Sobeck, Colby, Ann (Larry) Sundermeyer, Abbotsford, and Charlotte Peterson, Marshfield; 36 grandchildren; 50 great-grandchildren; four brothers, Emery (Rita) Schmitt, Abbotsford, Mark (Delores) Schmitt, Colby, Linus (Joan) Schmitt, Wausau and Tim (Suzie) Schmitt, Owen; six sisters, Maude Kocian, Abbotsford, Naomi (Harry) Kruse, Grayslake, IL, Mercedes Lange, Wauzeka, Germaine (Fred) Redmann, Athens, Mary Ann (Ted) Scanlon, Chicago IL, Verjean Kunze, Abbotsford, Wis.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded n death by her husband, Lawrence; three grandchildren; a brother Roman Schmitt; and sisters, Blanche Zera, Carmen Fosdick and Pamela Schmitt.

Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home, Abbotsford, assisted the family with arrangements.