Donald Petersen

Funeral services for Donald Petersen of Starbuck, Minnesota will be Thursday, December 21, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at Fron Lutheran Church in Starbuck, Minnesota with Reverend AJ Kluver officiating. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at the Starbuck Funeral Home in Starbuck, and one hour prior to services at the church on Thursday. A private family burial will take place at Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Odin, Minnesota at a later date.

Donald Duane Petersen was born on March 28, 1945, in Denison IA, to Howard “Jack” Petersen and Fern Margaret (Steckelberg) Petersen. He was baptized into the Lutheran faith and confirmed at Ormsby, MN in 1959. Don graduated from St. James High School in 1963, was drafted into the United States Army in 1965, and served as a medic achieving the rank of SP4. After his honorable discharge in 1967, he returned to the area and began work at his father’s service station in Odin, MN. Don met, and later married Carolyn Ann “Dutch” Melheim, November 30, 1968. They moved to Emmetsburg, IA, where he worked as a mechanic, and where they had their first three children. The family moved to St. James, MN in 1976, where two more children were born. In 1984, they moved to Starbuck where he owned and operated Starbuck Auto Center. After his wife’s passing in 2003, he met Charlotte (Thompson) Benson. They were married on June 8. 2007.

Don’s strong faith and activity in church was a great source of comfort to him his whole life. He was an active member of the VFW in Starbuck where he served as quartermaster for a time. He loved the outdoors, fishing was his favorite activity, and he never missed a deer hunting season. He volunteered in many areas especially working with tax preparation for 15 years. After retirement, he developed a passion for the game of golf and spent many hours on the fairway. He will be missed dearly by his many friends and family.

Don died Thursday, December 14, 2023 at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, MN, after a short battle with cancer. He was 78 years old.

Don is survived by his wife: Charlotte; three children: Stephanie Petersen, Paul (Mary) Petersen and Rebecca (Daniel) Froehlich; step-son: Daniel (Sophie) Sommers; step-daughter: Stephanie (Craig) Hatfield; seven grandchildren: Jamie (Ross) White, Ellee and Jack Petersen, Norah Froehlich, and Emma, Clara, and Theodore Hatfield; two great-grandchildren: Tessa and Sadie White; sisters: Janet (Doug) Thorkelson and Linda (Greg) Townsend; many brothers-in-law,  sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his first wife: Carolyn; daughter: Jennifer; son: Jonathan; his parents; brother: William; and sister: Julia.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to a charity of your choice.