Larry "Tony" Petersen, 93, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away Thursday, March 7, 2024, after a very short stay at the Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Le Mars.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Le Mars. Reverend Christian Meier will officiate. Burial with military honors provided by the Wasmer American Legion Post 241 of Le Mars will be at Hillside Cemetery in Merrill, Iowa. Visitation with the family present will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars. There will be a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will resume from 10:00 a.m. until service time on Wednesday at the church. Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars, Iowa. Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials can be made in Larry's name to the Le Mars Community School Foundation, Floyd Valley Healthcare Foundation, or a favorite charity of your choice.

Larry Albert Petersen, the son of Albert and Magdalena (Kammeier) Petersen, was born on November 26, 1930, on the family farm near Merrill, Iowa. He attended country school near Merrill and later high school in Le Mars. He graduated from Le Mars Central High School in 1948. Following high school, he began farming with his father.

He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1951. He was stationed at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama, during the end of the Korean War.

Before his enlistment, while umpiring a baseball game in Merrill, Larry's colorful Hawaiian shirt caught the eye of young Sioux City lady named Luene Lamoureux. As they say, the rest is history. They married on November 16, 1951, in Montgomery, Alabama, while Larry was in the service. Following his discharge in 1953, they returned to the family farm near Merrill.

Larry farmed until his retirement at the age of 62. Even after retirement, he continued to help his son, Jeff, on the farm. In 2004, Larry and Luene moved to Le Mars.

Larry was active in many civic and community organizations. He always said he enjoyed nothing more than a good meeting. He was truly a man who believed in serving his community, and in doing so befriended so many people from many diverse backgrounds. He served on the Le Mars Community School Board, Floyd Valley Hospital and Foundation Boards, Northwest Area Education Agency Board of Directors, Farm Credit Service Regional Association Board, Le Mars Community School Foundation, the Le Mars Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee, Plymouth County Drug Court, and others too numerous to mention.

Larry was a lifelong member of St. Paul Lutheran Church – Johnson Township in rural Merrill. After moving to Le Mars, he became a member of St. John's Lutheran Church.

If you met Larry, you knew him. He had the ability to talk to anyone about anything and his kindness was infectious. He loved his wife, his family, his community and a good basketball game, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes!

Survivors include his wife, Luene of Le Mars; a son: Jeff (Kay) Petersen of Merrill, IA; a daughter: Janet Petersen of Sioux City, IA; a son-in-law, Lonny (Cindy) Japp of Bennington, NE; his grandchildren and great grandchildren: Shayla Petersen of Minneapolis, MN; Makenzie (Micah) Lang of Le Mars, IA, and their children, Ella, Hudson, and Cruz; Ashley (Andrew) Mays of Urbandale, IA, and their children, January and Teddy; Samantha Japp of Cedar Falls, IA, and Griffin (CJ) Japp of Arlington, NE; his siblings: Dick (Soonie) Petersen of Colorado Springs, CO, Donna Newendorp of Longmont, CO, and Susan (Gerald) Klemme of Le Mars, IA; and many in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Magdalena Petersen; his father and mother-in-law, J.N. and Edna Lamoureux; his daughter, Joni Japp; his brother, Robert (Virginia) Petersen; his brother-in-law, Paul Newendorp; and his great-grandson Dexter Mays.

Larry was a genuine, supportive cheerleader for every person he met, from receptionists at his doctors' offices, to CEOs of organizations he was involved with, to family members he loved so dearly. He was the kind of guy who never failed to thank a waitress for "the nice service." We will miss his voice, his signature whistle, and his big heart.