Karen J. Peterson

Karen J. Peterson, 61 a life-long resident of Benson County and an Oberon ND business woman passed away on Saturday, April 24, 2021 at her home in the loving care of her family and Hospice.

Visitation for Karen will be held on Sunday, May 2, 2021 at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service and Time of Remembrance at 7:00 p.m.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, May 3, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, St. Michael ND with Reverend Paul Schuster celebrating the Mass.  The procession to St. Michael will leave at 9:00 a.m. on Monday from City Plaza, Devils Lake. Burial will be in the Hillside Cemetery, rural Oberon ND. 

Karen June, daughter of John E. and Dorothy Ann (Kraft) Peterson was born on October 2, 1959 at Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake.  She grew up in the St. Michael area, attending school at the Little Flower Mission School, then later Warwick Public School.  She proudly earned her GED through Lake Region State College. 

Karen never shied away from hard work.  As one of the older of 11 children, she was very involved in helping to raise the younger brothers and sisters.  As a teenager, she began working outside the home to help support the family, working as a commercial painter, wallpaper hanger, housekeeper for area homes, doing whatever job needed to be done.  In 2003, she became the owner and operator of Karen’s Place in Oberon. 

Karen met Elvis Thumb Sr. in her early adulthood and they were the proud parents of 2 sons, Elvis and Joseph.  She was devoted to her family, a loving and caring mother and grandmother and was very involved in raising several of her grandchildren. 

Karen loved life.  She battled cancer for many years, never giving up, always facing each new challenge with a smile, with a firm resolve to live each day to the fullest, to love with her whole heart and to always give what she could to her family, her friends, her community.  She felt truly blessed to have such a loving, caring family and such wonderful friends to share in her life. 

Our hearts break with sadness, but we promise to do our best to carry-on Karen’s legacy of love.

Karen’s loving family include her sons Elvis (Tara) Thumb of Sheyenne ND and Joseph Thumb of Oberon ND; mother Dorothy Peterson Comer also of Oberon; grandchildren Shantel (Troy) Storm, Shayla Thumb, Alyssa Thumb, Trysta Thumb and Cambree Thumb, Joseph Thumb Jr., Jeremiah Anderson-Thumb and Jaden DuBois; great grandson Wilder Elvis Storm; sisters and brothers Cheryl (Thorman) Logan, Oberon, Laurie (Pat) LaRoque, Sheyenne, Everett Comer Jr., Fort Totten ND,, Dale (Theresa) Comer, Sheyenne, Russell (Tonya) Comer, Watford City ND, Gloria (David) Chenze, Sheyenne, Sandra (Keith) Wachtel, Fessenden ND, Valerie (Curtis) Comer, Sheyenne and Nancy (Jason) Comer-Pokeda, Brandon, Manitoba Canada; special friend Pete Hager, Oberon; numerous beloved nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and dear cousins.

She was preceded in death by her Dad, John Peterson, brother David E. Peterson, grandchild Stacy DuBois and step-father Everett Comer Sr.