Loretta Petermeier

Loretta M. Petermeier, age 91 of St. Rosa, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday, November 23, 2014 at the CentraCare Health Hospital in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, November 26 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. Tuesday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Parish prayers will be at 5 p.m. followed by the Christian Mothers and the St. Loretta's Mission Group at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening. Visitation Wednesday will be from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church in St. Rosa.

Loretta Margaret Sand was born into a family of fourteen children on March 13, 1923 in St. Anthony, Minnesota to Nicholas and Anna (Olberding) Sand. She married Edwin "Ed" Petermeier on May 26, 1947 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in St. Anthony. Loretta and Edwin 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. She was a member of the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in St. Rosa, Christian Mothers, St. Loretta's Mission Group, St. Rosa Senior Citizens, and Crosier Apostolate of Onamia.

Loretta enjoyed gardening, playing cards with family and friends, quilting, sewing for herself and her family, crocheting, canning, and baking homemade bread, pies, and cookies for the grandchildren. She also enjoyed mowing the lawn with a push mower and spending time with her family.

Survivors include her 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, three step-grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren; brother and sisters, Theresa Goebel of St. Anthony, Lawrence Sand of Freeport, and Vera Ritter of Melrose; and brother-in-law, Herman Petermeier of Albany.

Loretta was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Edwin "Ed" Petermeier on December 4, 2013; daughter, Kathleen "Kathy" Groetsch; son, Ralph Petermeier; brothers and sisters, Henry Sand, Alfred Sand, Alma Pundsack, Helen Sand, Monica Ritter, Richard Sand, Victor Sand, Alvina Koglin, and Frieda Kerfeld.

Serving as casket bearers will be Galen Gruber, Nathaniel Groetsch, Chuck Athmann, Hannah Gruber, Katrina Strugar, Tamber Gruber, Julie Dengerud, and Bethany Nordby. Cross bearer will be Shelby Dengerud and scripture bearer will be Gavin Petermeier. Readers will be Kateri Gruber and Natasha Hadden. Honorary bearers will be Tom and Laurel Enneking, Scott Murray, Shannon Murray, the Christian Mothers, and St. Loretta's Mission Group.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.