Adele Rae Petersen, age 75, of Escanaba, passed away of heart failure Wednesday morning, January 17, 2018 at U.P. Health System – Marquette. She was born on January 19, 1942 in Santa Fe, NM, the daughter of Robert and Rae (Rothman) Croucher. Adele married Peter J. Petersen on April 10, 1963 in Atlanta, GA. The couple shared 54 years of marriage together. She resided in various locations while Peter served in the U.S. Navy. Adele’s longest residency was in Riverdale, IL for 36 years. In her professional career, she worked in the banking industry as an account executive. Adele retired in 2005 and moved with her husband, Peter, to Escanaba. She started dancing when she was only 5 years old and taught dancing in Santa Fe, NM and New York City. Adele performed as a professional dancer and danced at various locations in New Mexico and Mexico City, Mexico. Since she had a passion for dancing, she joined the line dancers group at the Civic Center in Escanaba and later became one of the instructors. The line dancers group performed at many nursing homes in the Escanaba area. Some of the group danced at the Island Resort and Casino and one band gave them the name of the “Casino Kickers.” Adele’s other hobbies included gardening and cooking. She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Escanaba where she was very involved in the pasty sales and fellowship groups.

Adele Rae Petersen is survived by husband, Peter Petersen of Escanaba; sons, Joseph Petersen of Hammond, IN, and Robert Petersen of Augusta, GA; daughters, Kimberly (Robert) Soden of Killeen, TX, and Karen (Laurence) Marshall of Douglassville, PA; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; sisters, Mary R. Woodrum of Tucson, AZ, and Josephine Valencia of Santa Fe, NM; brothers, Lewis Auerbach of Socorro, NM, and Frank (Poncho) Valencia of Santa Fe, NM; nephew, Anthony “Tony” Dunkerley of Ottawa, Ontario; niece, Debra “Debbie” Anjelian of Kemptville, Ontario; and many other nieces and nephews.

Graveside memorial services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Friday, May 25, 2018 at Lakeview Cemetery in Escanaba with Rev. Stephen Gauger officiating. A luncheon will be served afterward in the Immanuel Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Escanaba.

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