Berniece Anna Peters passed away the afternoon of Sunday, March 29, 2015 at the age of 85.
The visitation is Friday, April 3, 2015 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, Prior Lake. A Celebration of Life Service is Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 10:00 AM with visitation one hour prior at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, Prior Lake. Reverend Tim Hall will preside. Berniece’s grandchildren will act as pall bearers. Berniece will be laid to rest next to her husband at Butterfield Cemetery. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 3:00 PM.
It was a beautiful spring day on April 14, 1929 in Butterfield, MN when Bernhard and Mary (Mausling) Meyer celebrated the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Berniece Anna. She was the eldest of two children and loved growing up on the family farm with her brother Maynard “Ben”. Berniece attended Mountain Lake High School through the 10 th grade. She then began working on the family farm.
Berniece was 11 when her family moved to Mountain Lake in the spring of 1941. Their farm was next to the Peters’ farm. It was on Good Friday that her family went over to visit and meet their new neighbors. Berniece immediately hit it off with one of the neighbor boys, Peter Peters. They started going to parties and basketball games together. On her 16 th birthday, she and Pete went on their first official date, and they were together ever since. They were engaged on Christmas Eve 1946, and they exchanged wedding vows on January 16, 1948 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake. They were blessed with three wonderful sons, Michael, Keith and Lauren.
Pete and Berniece raised their family on a farm in Butterfield until 1968 when they built a house in town. Throughout the years their family enjoyed living in a small town where they were involved in the Butterfield Community Bible Church. The boys were also very active in athletics. Berniece and Pete were avid sports fans, and rarely missed a football, basketball or baseball game. As a family they also enjoyed an annual trip up north. They’d rent a cabin and enjoy swimming, fishing and being together as a family.
Once the boys were off to school Berniece began working at Butterfield Foods. She was a knife sharpener and worked there for 20 years until she retired. She was also known as the local wedding cake decorator. Berniece was very talented and made cakes for all family special occasions.
After they retired, Pete and Berniece enjoyed making crafts together. He’d cut the wood, and she’d paint it. Berniece also made jewelry and painted ceramics. After Pete passed away, Berniece moved a couple hours north to be closer to their children and grandchildren, leaving Berniece to start a new life by herself. She eventually settled at Keystone in Prior Lake in 2008. She made many wonderful friends and received excellent care during her time at Keystone.
Although Berniece was known to be quiet, she was also very social. She was known as “sweetheart” to many, and a great listener. She was a strong woman; Berniece was a rock for her family and a constant support for her boys and husband. Berniece was a faithful and prayerful woman who loved the Lord. Faith, family and friends were the most important things in her life.
Berniece will be missed deeply and remembered always by her sons, Keith (Gail) Peters; Lauren (Stacy) Peters; daughter-in-law, Kathy Peters; grandchildren, Megan (Noah) Fuller, Brenda (Nate) Brisley, Bradley Peters, Jordan (Megan) Peters, Kaley Peters, Jack Peters and Luke Peters; great-grandchild, Elizabeth Fuller; sister-in-law, Sharon Meyer; other loving relatives and friends. There to greet Berniece in Heaven is her husband, Peter Peters; son, Michael Peters and brother, Maynard “Ben” Meyer and parents.
