Edwin Petermeier

Edwin F. "Ed" Petermeier, age 98, of St. Rosa, died peacefully on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at the CentraCare Health Hospital in Melrose, Minnesota after a short battle with cancer.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 7 at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa with Rev. Virgil Petermeier, osc officiating and Rev. Roger Klassen, O.S.B. and Rev Ken Thielman concelebrating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at the church in St. Rosa. Parish prayers will be at 5 p.m. followed by the Holy Name Society at 7 p.m. Friday evening at the church.

Edwin Fred Petermeier was born July 18, 1915 in Millwood Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Benedict and Mary (Kemper) Petermeier. He married Loretta Sand on May 26, 1947 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in St. Anthony. Edwin and Loretta took over the Petermeier family farm for 35 years. They retired in 1981 and continued to live on the farm until 2011 when they moved to Melrose. He was a member of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa and the Holy Name Society.

Ed enjoyed collecting snowmobiles, welding, mechanic work, hunting, and fishing. He invented a spring loaded tractor seat for the Mpls. Moline and a bale loader. Ed was so creative that he made riding toys for his children to enjoy on the farm. He was a true naturalist and a great lover of wildlife.

Survivors include his wife, Loretta Petermeier of Melrose; children, Fr. Virgil Petermeier, osc of Onamia, Bernice (Don) Tackett of Vilonia, AR, Rosie (Jim) Athmann of Melrose, Irene (Rick) Gruber of Melrose, and Germain (Annette) Petermeier of Avon; son-in-law, Dan (Patty) Groetsch of Albany; 13 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren; and brother, Herman Petermeier of Albany.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Kathleen "Kathy" Groetsch; son, Ralph Petermeier; and sister-in-law, Mary Petermeier.

Serving as casket bearers will be Galen Gruber, Nathaniel Groetsch, Chuck Athmann, Scott Murray, Natasha Gruber, Katrina Groetsch, Tamber Gruber, and Hannah Gruber. Cross bearer will be Shelby Dengerud and scripture bearer will be Gavin Petermeier. Readers will be Kateri Gruber and Julie Dengerud. Honorary bearers will be the Holy Name Society.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.