Helen Peterson

Helen Peterson (Kourajian) ObituaryHelen (Kourajian) Peterson
Helen Peterson passed away peacefully at 97 years of age on July/6/2025 at her son's home in Edina. Helen was born in Jamestown, North Dakota on May 15, 1928, to Armenian refugees Vahan and Sarah Kourajian, the second of nine children, graduating from Jamestown High School in 1946. On Christmas Eve of that year, she became engaged to high school sweetheart Robert Peterson upon his return from naval service in World War Two.
Helen and Robert were married in Jamestown on May 25, 1947. The young couple moved to Minneapolis while Bob studied refrigeration at Dunwoody institute. Bob and a partner started Ideal Equipment and Refrigeration Company in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and also sold Mercury outboards and Crosby fiberglass boats, beginning a lifelong love of boating. Helen became an avid water skier when the family would spend weekends camping and boating all around Minnesota's lakes.
Helen lived a life of dedication to her husband of 71 years, and the activities of her three sons – Cub Scouts, go-karts, camping, boating, water skiing, skating, Little League, and more. She lived a June Cleaver type life of suburban homemaker in the idyllic times of the 1950's, caring for Robert and their three sons.
In 1963 Bob and Helen purchased a home in Tonka Bay, moving to Lake Minnetonka, and cementing the family's love of life on the water. When the boys left home by the early 1970's, Bob and Helen devoted vacation time to travel, especially loving cruise ships. When Bob retired at 55, in 1982, they took up golf and began wintering in Mesa, Arizona, before returning full time to the Twin Cities in 2013 to be near their family. After Bob's death in 2018, Helen remained at Highland Path assisted living, before moving to Edina to live with son Michael and his wife Georgina.
Helen was preceded in death by husband Robert, her parents, brothers Casper, Charles, and John; her sisters Mary and Virginia; and is survived by her two brothers Thomas (Bonnie) and Arthur Kourajian: a sister Dorothy (Dave) Pokorny: and her three sons – Michael (Georgina), David (Linda) and Daniel (Nan); eight Grandchildren – Angela (Areyan) Hashemi-Rad, Ann, Jannette, Elizabeth Skilbeck, Benjamin (Rachel,) Tessa (Adam) Feichtinger, and Nicholas (Carrie,) and five great-grandchildren – Nadiya Hashemi-Rad, Charlotte and Thomas Skilbeck, and Chase and Chloe Peterson.
A Celebration of Helen's life for friends and family will be held Friday, July 11, 11:30 - 2:30, at Hazelwood Tonka Bay. Private interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, on July 22nd. Helen was proud of Robert's Naval Service, and the family prefers, in lieu of flowers, any memorials to your local Veterans Administration.
Helen (Kourajian) Peterson
Helen Peterson passed away peacefully at 97 years of age on July/6/2025 at her son's home in Edina. Helen was born in Jamestown, North Dakota on May 15, 1928, to Armenian refugees Vahan and Sarah Kourajian, the second of nine children, graduating from Jamestown High School in 1946. On Christ