Illa Peterson

Illa Mae Konold Peterson

Illa Mae Konold Peterson passed away on March 21, 2015 in Nashville, TN, at the age of 89. She was born in Marietta, MN and grew up in Minneota, MN. She was the daughter of Floyd and Doris Spanton Konold. She attended Minneota High School, where she became valedictorian of her class. She went on to attend St. Olaf College. While a student at St. Olaf she met Marvin ("Pete") Peterson, whom she married in 1947. They had three daughters, Lynn, Ann, and Jeannie.

In 1956 Illa and her family moved to Palo Alto, CA. There, she found a job as a secretary at Stanford University in the Psychology Department. She became the assistant to Professor Leon Festinger, an iconic social psychologist. Illa loved her years at Stanford because she so enjoyed the lively intellectual environment.

She was an avid competitive bridge player. She was also a born yarn-spinner, and she thrilled her daughters by telling spine-tingling ghost stories. Her gift for story-telling later evolved into a passion for writing. She wrote mostly short stories, but also wrote a novel. Her stories have been handed down to her grandchildren and now her great grandchildren, and will be enjoyed by generations to come.
She was of Norwegian, Swedish, and German descent. She was particularly proud of her Scandinavian ancestry and was an accomplished baker. She made sure that Norwegian food and hospitality were transmitted to her daughters, all of whom enjoyed the lefse, julekaker, and kringle, which she made with love every Christmas season.

Her faith was a pillar of her life. When Illa and Pete moved to Hendersonville, TN she became a member of St. Timothy's Lutheran Church. She was very active there and truly loved her "church family" at St. Timothy's. She joined St. Timothy's Intercessory Prayer Circle and often proclaimed that they "got results!"

Illa will be sorely missed by her brother, Douglas Konold; her sister, Frances McDowell; her daughters, Lynn Martin, Ann Ulibarri, and Jeannie Rowe; her sons-in-law, Marty Martin, Ed Ulibarri, and Duncan Rowe; grandchildren Ian Ulibarri, Ashley Riley, Anthony Martin, Jacqueline Tanner, Elizabeth Martin, Dylan Rowe, and Hailey Rowe; great-grandchildren Athena, Lily, Rebecca, Anna, Eden, Ivy, and William; and nieces and nephews too numerous to list.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday April 11, 2015 at 1:00 at St. Timothy's Lutheran Church 650 E Main St, Hendersonville, TN. The funeral will be followed by the burial and a reception at Hendersonville Memory Gardens 650 E Main Street. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Timothy's Lutheran Church.