Caroline Ruth Petersen

She was Born in Chicago in 1933 to John and Ruth Semmerling and had a older brother Ray. She attended Luther institute in Chicago IL and then attended and Graduated from Concordia College River Forest with a teaching degree. She was Called to Utah to be a Lutheran school teacher for grades 1-6 in a single room school at St Marks in Provo. Grandma and grandpa moved to Utah with her since grandpa didn’t want his baby moving to the wild wild west alone at the age of 20 and unmarried.

She met dad at St. Mark’s and they married in 1955. They moved to Salt Lake and attended Redeemer Lutheran for over 20 years. They transferred to Christ Lutheran and had been a member there for over 45 years.

During her life she was dedicated to serving Christ through writing and translating Sunday school lessons for children to braille (over 30 years), working with Good Shepard Lutheran home of the west in CA (now Bethesda Lutheran Communities) a nonprofit helping people with developmental disabilities from the 1960’s to 2018. She was also involved with LWML in her church district. I remember all the goodies she would make that we couldn’t eat as it was for a meeting, family in need, or bake sale. She spent many days making crafts, figuring out how to creatively raise money and volunteering for another officer position since no one else wanted to.

She was always gracious to those she knew as well as those she didn’t know and gave freely of her time and money.

She lived in their home in Holladay, Utah for 61 years. In 1959 they adopted their only son John Scott. In 1961 they adopted their only daughter Paula. In 2018, after the passing of Scott, she moved to Illinois to live with Paula. When her son in law, David, retired in 2020, they all returned back to UT.

Mom was an avid bowler from her teens till she was 85 despite her childhood years of breaking her arm multiple times. She broke an arm playing Red Rover in elementary school. Her arm was broken in a wringer washing machine during her school days also. While bowling in a league at Fairmont bowling alley over 40 years, she shattered her elbow into 12 pieces and had plates and screws installed. She also broke a wrist, while bowling. In 2018, her bowling days ended at 85 when she dropped her 13 lb. ball on her big toe and broke it off.

Besides her volunteering, raising 2 children while dad supported the family as a long haul truck driver, and bowling, she also went back to work after raising us for 15 years. She worked for McKesson Drugs and retired from the State of Utah from working at the University of Utah Neonatal Follow-up program that followed premature babies for their first 5 years. She retired in 1998. She also cared for her parents until their deaths. She was truly a guardian angel sent from God.

Mom was also a lifetime Chicago Cubs Fan. She had been asking us all year why we wouldn’t take her to a game, forgetting we weren’t 35 miles from Wrigley Field anymore. Unfortunately, after buying tickets to a game in Denver on August 5th, she was too sick to travel.

Services will be held October 15th at Christ Lutheran Church, Murray, followed by a private graveside service.

She will be interred with her loving husband Harold of almost 59 years and her son Scott.

She is survived by her daughter Paula and son in law David Rosinski who have been caring for her the last 3 years.

I would like to thank all those that loved her for their never ending love and support to her and her family over the years. Also thanks to her caregivers, especially Courtney and Terri from Visiting Angels and Kalea and Andrea from Homecare Assistance. Also Pat, Brad and Bree. Also thank you to Dave and his staff at Home Instead. Thank you for loving mom as your own and being there for me.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be sent to Christ Lutheran Church, 240 E 5600 South, Murray UT. 84107