Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
NameRichard Marion PETERSON 
3, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Petersen,3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen,470, Rev Richard Marion Peterson
3, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Petersen,3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen,470, Rev Richard Marion PetersonBirthOct 9, 1917, Thorsby, Alabama3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen
DeathOct 6, 2015, Alamance County, North Carolina3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen
BurialShallow Ford Christian Church, 1263 Shallow Ford Church Road, Alamance County, North Carolina3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen
Spouses
1Loyce Alberta BAGWELL 3, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Petersen,3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen,470, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Peterson
3, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Petersen,3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen,470, Loyce Alberta Bagwell PetersonBirthJul 20, 1921, Gainesville, Hall County, Georgia3, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Petersen,470, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Peterson
DeathJul 31, 2014, Alamance County, North Carolina3, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Petersen,470, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Peterson
BurialShallow Ford Christian Church, 1263 Shallow Ford Church Road, Alamance County, North Carolina470, Loyce Alberta Bagwell Peterson
FatherAlbert BAGWELL
MotherMyrtle BROWN
ChildrenEugene
Obituary Online notes for Richard Marion PETERSON
10/9/2015
Rev. Richard Marion Petersen
The Rev. Richard Marion Petersen, 97, of 1840 Altamahaw-Union Ridge Road passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, with his family by his side.
Richard was born Oct. 9, 1917, in Thorsby, Alabama, to Danish immigrants Martin Christian and Elsie Villadsen Petersen and was the youngest of 10 children, seven boys and three girls.
Richard was drawn to serve early in life and in 1935, spent his summer in Kentucky doing missions work and he continued this there after graduation from Thorsby Institute. In 1939, Richard enrolled in Piedmont College located in southeast Georgia. This was also the year that a young Loyce Bagwell from Gainesville, Georgia enrolled in Piedmont seeking a teaching degree. Little did Loyce know that four years later, in 1943, after Richard had aggravated her and finally worn her down, she would agree to become his wife.
War was declared in 1941 and the American people heard the call to arms. Richard’s parents had emigrated from Denmark around 1900 and were proud of their Danish heritage but recognized that they were now Americans, and they gave their all in support of their new country. Five of the six Petersen brothers immediately enlisted in the war effort across various branches of the service. When Richard returned home from Piedmont College his mother asked him to honor the Petersen family by joining the military and he told her that he had already enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. Richard was a proud Marine who saw combat duty in the Pacific and, when wounded, returned home to the United States where he spent several years training troops to join the fight.
With the end of the war, and upon leaving active duty with the Marine Corps, Richard returned to Loyce’s home of Gainesville, Georgia. While there, he received an invitation to come and preach in Kentucky because of his previous mission outreach. After preaching in Kentucky for about a year and finding that this was indeed his life’s work, he enrolled in Vanderbilt University’s School of Religion where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree. He concurrently enrolled in Peabody and Scarritt Colleges and earned teaching degrees from both. Richard held five degrees, including the Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, which he earned in 1973.
Richard was called as minister of Shallow Ford United Church of Christ in Elon College, NC in 1952, where he served for 34 years. His philosophy was that Jesus was a preacher, a teacher, and a carpenter, so a good minister should be all three. He lived out this personal code — while at Shallow Ford, he served his congregation well and he oversaw the construction of an educational wing in 1958 and the main sanctuary in 1967. He did much of the work himself,
having held a passion for building and finish carpentry throughout his life. In addition, he enjoyed many days substitute teaching at both Western Middle and Western High Schools.
This was an important time in Richard’s life, and he firmly planted roots through his church leadership, community involvement and the joy of seeing his family grow from children into adults. Both Richard and Loyce retired in 1985 and moved to Birmingham, Alabama to take care of Clara, Richard’s older sister. After Clara’s death in 1996 and Richard’s first stroke in 1997, they returned home to North Carolina where he lived out his days happily, continuing to shine his light with those whose lives he shared.
Richard is survived by four children, Brenda (Frio) Garner, Jeanneine (Mike) Jones, Marelle McAdams and Eugene (Tammy) Petersen. He leaves six grandchildren, Kimberly (Tim) Petty, Christian McAdams, Matt (Lisa) Petersen, Grant Petersen, Joshua Jones, Rachel Jones; and four greatgrandchildren, Victoria, Claire and Jack Petty, and Lyla Petersen. In addition, Richard leaves several nieces and nephews.
He was pre-deceased by his wife of 70 years, Loyce Bagwell Petersen; their sonin law, Doug McAdams; his mother and father; and all his siblings, Olga, Hilma, Clara, Walter, Eugene, Russell, Leo, Willis and LeRoy.
Richard remained a member of Shallow Ford Christian Church until his death, though he regularly attended St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, a congregation he also loved. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be shared with either church so they might purchase audio visual equipment for their ministries.
Richard’s family will be honored to receive friends at Shallow Ford Christian Church Friday night beginning at 6. He will lie in state on Saturday in the sanctuary beginning at 1 p.m. with funeral services to be conducted Saturday at 2 p.m.by the Rev. Steve Regan and the Rev. Tommy Privette. Entombment will be in the church cemetery with military honors.
Rich & Thompson Funeral and Cremation Service in Burlington is assisting the family.
Condolences may be offered at www.richandthompson.com 3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen
Rev. Richard Marion Petersen
The Rev. Richard Marion Petersen, 97, of 1840 Altamahaw-Union Ridge Road passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, with his family by his side.
Richard was born Oct. 9, 1917, in Thorsby, Alabama, to Danish immigrants Martin Christian and Elsie Villadsen Petersen and was the youngest of 10 children, seven boys and three girls.
Richard was drawn to serve early in life and in 1935, spent his summer in Kentucky doing missions work and he continued this there after graduation from Thorsby Institute. In 1939, Richard enrolled in Piedmont College located in southeast Georgia. This was also the year that a young Loyce Bagwell from Gainesville, Georgia enrolled in Piedmont seeking a teaching degree. Little did Loyce know that four years later, in 1943, after Richard had aggravated her and finally worn her down, she would agree to become his wife.
War was declared in 1941 and the American people heard the call to arms. Richard’s parents had emigrated from Denmark around 1900 and were proud of their Danish heritage but recognized that they were now Americans, and they gave their all in support of their new country. Five of the six Petersen brothers immediately enlisted in the war effort across various branches of the service. When Richard returned home from Piedmont College his mother asked him to honor the Petersen family by joining the military and he told her that he had already enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. Richard was a proud Marine who saw combat duty in the Pacific and, when wounded, returned home to the United States where he spent several years training troops to join the fight.
With the end of the war, and upon leaving active duty with the Marine Corps, Richard returned to Loyce’s home of Gainesville, Georgia. While there, he received an invitation to come and preach in Kentucky because of his previous mission outreach. After preaching in Kentucky for about a year and finding that this was indeed his life’s work, he enrolled in Vanderbilt University’s School of Religion where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree. He concurrently enrolled in Peabody and Scarritt Colleges and earned teaching degrees from both. Richard held five degrees, including the Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University, which he earned in 1973.
Richard was called as minister of Shallow Ford United Church of Christ in Elon College, NC in 1952, where he served for 34 years. His philosophy was that Jesus was a preacher, a teacher, and a carpenter, so a good minister should be all three. He lived out this personal code — while at Shallow Ford, he served his congregation well and he oversaw the construction of an educational wing in 1958 and the main sanctuary in 1967. He did much of the work himself,
having held a passion for building and finish carpentry throughout his life. In addition, he enjoyed many days substitute teaching at both Western Middle and Western High Schools.
This was an important time in Richard’s life, and he firmly planted roots through his church leadership, community involvement and the joy of seeing his family grow from children into adults. Both Richard and Loyce retired in 1985 and moved to Birmingham, Alabama to take care of Clara, Richard’s older sister. After Clara’s death in 1996 and Richard’s first stroke in 1997, they returned home to North Carolina where he lived out his days happily, continuing to shine his light with those whose lives he shared.
Richard is survived by four children, Brenda (Frio) Garner, Jeanneine (Mike) Jones, Marelle McAdams and Eugene (Tammy) Petersen. He leaves six grandchildren, Kimberly (Tim) Petty, Christian McAdams, Matt (Lisa) Petersen, Grant Petersen, Joshua Jones, Rachel Jones; and four greatgrandchildren, Victoria, Claire and Jack Petty, and Lyla Petersen. In addition, Richard leaves several nieces and nephews.
He was pre-deceased by his wife of 70 years, Loyce Bagwell Petersen; their sonin law, Doug McAdams; his mother and father; and all his siblings, Olga, Hilma, Clara, Walter, Eugene, Russell, Leo, Willis and LeRoy.
Richard remained a member of Shallow Ford Christian Church until his death, though he regularly attended St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, a congregation he also loved. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be shared with either church so they might purchase audio visual equipment for their ministries.
Richard’s family will be honored to receive friends at Shallow Ford Christian Church Friday night beginning at 6. He will lie in state on Saturday in the sanctuary beginning at 1 p.m. with funeral services to be conducted Saturday at 2 p.m.by the Rev. Steve Regan and the Rev. Tommy Privette. Entombment will be in the church cemetery with military honors.
Rich & Thompson Funeral and Cremation Service in Burlington is assisting the family.
Condolences may be offered at www.richandthompson.com 3, Rev. Richard Marion Petersen