Mabel Katherine Augustenborg

Mabel Katherine (Petey) Augustenborg CARLSBAD -- Petey Augustenborg, 88, passed away at the Guardian Angel Home in Richland, Washington, on November, 18, 2011. Petey was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Martha Peterson; her husband, Maj. Jorgen Augustenborg; and brothers, Sanford (Billings, Mont.), Charles (Fergus Falls, Minn.), and Richard (Malibu, Calif.). Petey was born November 27, 1922 to Henry and Martha (Lee) Peterson in Yankton, South Dakota. She spent her early life on the family farm in Volin, South Dakota which her grandfather had obtained in the 1880s through the Western Homestead acts. The Great Depression of the 1930s forced the family to sell the farm and relocate to Yankton, where Petey graduated from Yankton High School in 1939. She completed her formal education in 1941 at a local Secretarial Technical College. With the start of WWII, Petey was recruited by the Army Air Corps and relocated to Washington DC to support the war effort by performing administrative and clerical duties as an Army Air Corps civilian. At the conclusion of the war in 1945, she was offered a position in the Los Angeles Public Relations Office of the soon to become the US Air Force. She often spoke of that wonderful time in Los Angeles, as her duties included frequent contact with the Hollywood movie industry and film celebrities. In 1948, she met and married Jorgen (Jack) Augustenborg, an Air Force officer and pilot. Over the next ten years Petey and Jack relocated five times in conjunction with Air Force assignments, living in Great Falls, Mont., Tokyo, Japan, Palm Beach, Fla., Manchester, NH, and Lumberton, NJ. During this time, Petey was dedicated to raising her family and supporting her husband, who deployed for both the Berlin Airlift and Korean War. With Jack's death in 1958, Petey and her three sons returned to their home in South Gate, Calif., close to members of each others' families. Petey resided in South Gate for almost thirty years. While her primary occupation was raising her children, Petey successfully restarted a career as the Executive Secretary to Joe Barbera of Hannah-Barbera Animation Studios, and later an Administrative Assistant with Dresser Industries. Petey was active in her church, Grace Lutheran in Bell, Calif., volunteering for numerous committees and councils; an officer with the Gold Star Wives; and a member, officer, and president of numerous Parent Teachers Associations. After retiring from Dresser Industries, Petey was in need of change. Following a lengthy search, she relocated to Carlsbad, Calif., in 1987 and resided there for 23 years. She loved the North County life and made numerous new friendships with La Costa neighbors and fellow members of the San Marcos Community Lutheran Church. As a grandmother, she happily returned to part time child rearing, always ready to have her grandchildren for extended visits and traveling to exotic locales including Russia, Germany, Hungary, Turkey, and Italy to assist her son's family whenever needed. Petey thoroughly enjoyed and had a very special relationship with her grandchildren. She was greatly loved by her family and will be missed by all. She is survived by her three sons and daughters-in-law, Jay and Elsa Augustenborg, Richland, Wash., Lon and Denise Augustenborg, Falls Church, Va., and Ned Augustenborg, Carlsbad, Calif.; six grandchildren, Cara Augustenborg and husband, Mark Hughes (Co. Wicklow, Ireland), Amanda and husband Chris Rodriguez (Lawrenceville, NJ), Erica Augustenborg (Washington, DC), Monica Augustenborg (Falls Church, Va.), Jorgen Augustenborg (Falls Church, Va.), and Sophia Augustenborg (San Diego, Calif.); three great-grandchildren: Eva Augustenborg Hughes (Ireland), and Julianna and Josephine Rodriguez (New Jersey); seven nephews and nieces, and cousin and dear friend of 88 years, Marjorie Halverson (Yankton, SD). Services will be held at 1 p.m., on Thursday, December 1, at San Marcos Lutheran Church, 3419 Grand Ave., San Marcos, Calif. 92078, with viewing Wednesday, November 30th from 4 to8 p.m., at Allen Brothers Mortuary, 435 N. Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos. Interment will take place at Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery in Point Loma. Allen Brothers Mortuary, San Marcos, Calif., may be reached at 760-744-4522, or sanmarcoschapel@ allenbrothersmortuary.com. Sign the Guest Book online obits.nctimes.com