Marlene Ruth Peterson

Marlene (Kyllonen) Peterson, age 89, passed away suddenly in her home in Minnetonka on January 18th, 2026.

She was born on July 15th,1936 to Matt and Lillian (Young) Kyllonen in Menahga, Minnesota.

She was the youngest of a very large, blended family. Most of her siblings were grown and had moved out by the time she was born. They were quite poor as her father died when she was 3 years old. With that said, she had her brother Buddy and her sister Edna Mae to squabble with and fill her days. Despite their childhood dynamic, their bond remained magical and only grew stronger over time.

Being the baby of the family, she was incredibly resilient and much stronger than she realized. Before her senior year of high school, her mother took incredibly ill and was forced to move down to Minneapolis to undergo cancer treatment at the University of Minnesota. With very little means of communication, she lived on her own over her entire senior year and carried on the best she could, not regularly knowing the status of her mom's condition. It was a very challenging time for her, but her inner SISU (grit and determination in Finnish) carried her through. Thankfully, her mother recovered and after graduation she moved down to the cities to live with her and Buddy. It was at that time, she met the love of her life Jack Peterson, whom she married in November 1960; children Lori and Todd followed to complete her family.

The Kyllonen's are great story tellers, and she has always been in awe of the tales told, specifically by her aunts. These stories would get a little larger each time they were told and eventually would become legendary. While she wasn't the verbal storyteller, she preferred to put pen to paper, and later in life compiled many of her and Jack's favorite memories and stories into a book, complete with pictures. She was incredibly proud of the finished product and now, thankfully, her children and grandchildren have a permanent record.

Marlene is survived by her daughter Lori Banker, her husband Mark and their children Matt and Hayley. She is also survived by her brother Buddy and sister Edna Mae, along with extended family, friends and brothers and sisters in faith. She is preceded in death by her love Jack, and her dear son Todd.

Funeral Service at 11am, January 30, 2026, Visitation one hour prior.

Independent Apostolic Lutheran Church

14000 129th Ave N

Dayton, MN 55422