Sharon Kay Peterson

Sharon Kay Peterson, April 22, 2025

Sharon Kay Peterson, 82, passed away on April 22, 2025 at Cerenity Marian nursing home in St. Paul, Minn., with her husband of 60 years at her side.

Sharon was born July 26, 1942 in Santa Barbara, California, the only child of Olga and Karl Peterson. She lived with her parents in Carpinteria, a small town on the coast of southern California, until she graduated from high school in 1960. Her childhood years were spent reading books, exploring on the beach and hiking the foothills near her home. In the summers she traveled with her parents to Nebraska to visit her extended family, times filled with playing outside with her many cousins, helping her grandmother do farm chores, and long card games.

After high school she attended Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. She returned to Carpinteria and eventually moved to San Francisco, where she held jobs as a receptionist, secretary and switchboard operator. While living in San Francisco in the spring of 1965, she attended St. Paulus Lutheran Church and the “Young at Heart” parishioners’ social group. Lieutenant Gregory J. Peterson, who was stationed at the Presidio, had also been raised Missouri Synod Lutheran, and happened to also be in the same place as Sharon. Seeing her pretty brown eyes, he quickly asked her on a date, and they found that besides sharing the same last name and the same religion, they also shared a love of reading, good food and music. After realizing what a great cook she was, Greg proposed. After Greg was promoted to Captain, they were married in her home town on October 2, 1965. They had two children, Evan and Julia. After Greg’s time in the Army, his career took them to Chicago, St. Paul, and small towns in Minnesota and Wisconsin near Greg’s family. At every move, Sharon resettled the family and pets, and promptly joined the local Lutheran church and volunteered many hours.

When Greg retired, they moved to St. Paul where they could enjoy the local music and art scene, travel, and help raise their grandchildren. She passed on to her kids and grandkids her practical and honest outlook, her faith, love of nature and a good book. We cherish our memories of her going for walks while identifying plants and birds, sipping a glass of white wine and enjoying dark chocolate, teaching kids to read recipes, and long conversations about politics or the latest murder mystery she had read. She was a dedicated and selfless mother, wife, aunt and grandmother.

Sharon is preceded in death by her parents; Greg’s brother and sister-in-law, Ann and Gary Peterson; niece Melinda Erickson.

She is survived by her husband; her children Evan (Mary) Peterson, Julia (Michael) Martinson; grandchildren, Gregory R. (Sophia Callaci) Peterson, Katherine (Olivia Copia) Peterson, Erika (Connor Dunford) Martinson, and Nathan Martinson; sister-in-law Jode Peterson; adopted brother-in-law Mohammed (Ann) Bahauddin; nephews Ross and Rand Peterson, Ryan Palo, Michael and Daniel Bahauddin; nieces Sarah Bahauddin, Shannon Palo Pykonen, Jennifer and Julianne Peterson; grand-niece Kaitlyn Schreiter.

Arrangements entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home, Grantsburg, Wisc.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date, at University Lutheran Church of Hope, Minneapolis, Minn.

A private family interment will be held at a later date at Riverside Cemetery, Grantsburg, Wisc