Ward Peterson

1946 - 2021

LINCOLN - Ward Peterson, 74, of Kearney died Feb. 24, 2021, at Monarch Hospice in Lincoln.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. March 16 at First Lutheran Church in Kearney. The Rev. Dr. Michelle Holley Carlson and the Rev. Dr. Rick Carlson will officiate. The service will also be livestreamed through the church website at https://firstlutherankearney.org/watch-live/.
Inurnment will be held at Kearney Cemetery at a later date.
Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. March 15 at O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney.
Ward Carol Peterson was born April 23, 1946, in Holdrege to Carol and Leitha (Carlson) Peterson of Bertrand. Ward grew up on a farm north of Bertrand along with his siblings, Ramona, Rebecca and Timothy.
Ward was a lifelong Lutheran and was baptized, confirmed and married at Immanuel Lutheran in Bertrand. He was proud of his Lutheran and Swedish heritage. Ward attended school in Bertrand. He started school in a country school, pulling a few pranks along the way. At one point, he was the top scholar in his class. He also was the only student in his class. He graduated from Bertrand High School in 1964 and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in agronomy.
Ward married Paula Larson on Jan. 13, 1973. They became the parents of two daughters, Brooke and Alison.
In 1976, Ward landed his dream job with Hoegemeyer Hybrids. He so enjoyed the family-owned company and spent 35 years building a loyal customer base from central Nebraska to eastern Wyoming. His customers became wonderful friends.
Ward was a faithful member of First Lutheran Church in Kearney. During the years he served on various committees, was a member of the church council and sang in the chancel choir.
Ward's pride and joy was his family. He was a wonderful husband and adored his daughters, their husbands and being a grandpa. The feeling back to him was mutual.
Besides traveling and a good estate sale, Ward's biggest hobby was his backyard. He spent hours creating a perfect place to hang out. Countless gatherings, large and small, took place on the deck and in the yard.
Survivors include his wife, Paula of Kearney; daughters, Brooke (Matt) Larson of Lincoln and Ali (Seth) Svoboda of Peoria, Arizona; grandchildren, Soren Svoboda, Vic Svoboda, Collins Larson, Rowan Larson and Bo Svoboda; siblings, Ramona (Wayne) Karschner, Rebecca (Rod) Bredenkamp and Tim (Stacy) Peterson, all of Kearney; brothers-in-law, Mark (Lynn) Larson of North Platte and Craig Larson of Scottsbluff. He is also survived by much-loved nieces and nephews, cousins, and other family members and many friends.
Ward was preceded in death by his parents, Carol and Leitha Peterson; his sister, Deanna in infancy; and Paula's parents, Elliott and Delores Larson.
Memorials are kindly suggested to Ward's churches: First Lutheran in Kearney or Immanuel Lutheran in Bertrand or to the family to be given to the Nursery Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, where his beloved grandson Bo spent the first three months of his life.
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