Nola M. Peterson

Nola Marketa Sylvia Peterson, 75, of Lake Park MN passed away peacefully on October 4, 2024, at the Hospice House at Sanford Hospital in Fargo.

Nola was born on September 24, 1949, to Verna (Haug) and Neil Anderson, and was their only child. She grew up on a small farm on Nelson Lake where she always helped her dad with milking cows, and the chores that go along with running a dairy farm. She had many great stories of farm life she loved to tell of growing up on "the farm". She enjoyed having her own cows that she would show at the county fair and was very proud of winning trophies when they placed first. She attended Cormorant School during her elementary years, then Lake Park High School, graduating in 1967. After graduation she moved to Moorhead and went to Moorhead Tech School for office administration. It was at this time she met Norbert Peterson. They were married a short time later on September 9, 1968, at Trinity Lutheran Church. After they married, they enjoyed traveling. On their travels they also worked at the Glacier National Park. In 1971, they became the proud parents of their golden child, Jason. At that time Nola worked as an office assistant for a while, before becoming the superintendent for the groundskeeping department at Concordia College. This is where she developed her passion and love of mowing. She worked for Concordia until 1978, when the family moved to the Cormorant area.

Nola and Norb were fortunate enough to build a home of their own, carefully choosing all the materials, every board had to be perfectly straight. She was able to reside in her home until her passing, due to Jason's tireless love and care for her. Together her and Norb founded Peterson Builders, and worked tirelessly, side by side building many homes in and around the Cormorant and lakes area until his passing in 1991. A short time later, Nola met a special friend Paul Breyer, and they shared many great times and years of companionship together until his passing in 2015.

Nola was the type of person who never let the grass grow under her feet because she never sat still. But also due to the fact that she mowed the grass faster than it could grow. She loved her John Deere lawn mower, and it was always kept in immaculate condition, even having Jason wax & buff it for her. Many people always admired her lawn, and how she always kept it like a golf course. Everyone who ever saw her mowing knew her eyes were always very well protected by her famous mowing goggles.

Nola didn't have many hobbies, but she had a love for motor sports as well as cheering on her favorite football team, the Green Bay Packers. You could often find her riding four-wheelers, dirt bikes, or snowmobiles with Jason and his friends. Jason taught her how to race and she was very good at it. She won every race against them, much to their dismay.

She had a love for hard work of any kind. She was the "Energizer Bunny", because she never sat still. She was a "jack of all trades" and could do anything she put her mind to. Nola would always be the first person to ask others if they needed a helping hand, and all who knew her always knew they could count on her for anything. There was no job too big or too small, and everything she did she would do it with pride.

Nola is survived by her son, Jason Peterson of Lake Park, as well as many other loving relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Neil and Verna Anderson, her husband Norbert, and her friend Paul Breyer.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 1-5 PM at Steve's Dirty Dog, a.k.a, "The Carr Barr". It's the first left off of Co. Hwy. 11, on Co. Rd. 138, Audubon, MN.