A memorial mass for Walter R. Petersen, age 86, of Norfolk, Nebraska will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 5, 2023, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Tilden, Nebraska. Reverend Pat Nields will be celebrant.
Military honors will be provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7603 and American Legion Post 170.
Burial will be at a later date in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Tilden
Brockhaus-Harlan Funeral Home in Tilden is in charge of arrangements.
Walter died Monday, April 24, 2023, at Heritage of Bel Air in Norfolk.
Walter R. Petersen, Jr., son of Walter and Lorraine (Voigt) Petersen, Sr., was born November 9, 1936, at Tilden, Nebraska. Walter attended Tilden High School and then served his country in the United States Army from November 1958 to August 1960.
On August 3, 1963, Walter was united in marriage to Shirley Beltz at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Tilden. They were blessed with two children, Sherri and Pam.
Walter lived near Tilden his whole life, farming and raising certified angus bulls. He was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church and enjoyed playing baseball on the town team.
He is survived by his daughters, Sherri (Jay Baumann) Lewis of Norfolk and Pam (Jerry) Hoff of Norfolk; five grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren and one due in July; siblings, Elaine (Rudy) Dittrich of Tilden, Kay Dittrich of Tilden, and Debra Howard of Meadow Grove; brother-in-law, Jerry Freeman of Norfolk; and sister-in-law, Jolene Petersen of Tilden.
Walter was preceded in death by his parents; spouse, Shirley; sisters, Julie Thompson and Theresa Freeman; brothers, Robert Petersen and Dean Petersen, in infancy; and brothers-in-law, Les Thompson and Jerome Dittrich.