Judy L. Petersen

Judy L. Petersen, 63, of Foxhome, MN, and formerly of Campbell, MN, passed away surrounded by her loving family in her home on Friday, August 11, 2023.

A celebration of Judy’s life will take place from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home. Time for sharing will then begin at 3:00 p.m. The celebration will continue at the Optimist Shelter in Chahinkapa Park, Wahpeton at 4:30. Arrangements have been entrusted to Joseph Vertin and Sons Funeral Home, Breckenridge, MN.

Judy was born in Breckenridge, MN, on September 24, 1959, the sixth child of Russell and Marjorie (Murray) Barth. She attended school in Campbell and earned a degree in Computer Science from NDSCS. She started her family with the birth of her daughter, Jessica. She went on to teach computer class at Wahpeton High School for several years, worked hard at every job she had, and was also known as the “boot lady” at Farm City Supply.

Judy and Jessica moved to Georgia for a couple of years, but soon returned to Campbell. On December 28, 1990, she was wed to the love of her life, Jimmy Petersen, a man she had first met in high school. She welcomed Patrick and Miranda into her family and treated them as her own. Judy was known to adopt anyone associated with her children and grandchildren into her family; she became everyone’s mom and grandma, and she genuinely loved and cared for them all. She had eyes and ears everywhere and was likely to know who was always doing what and where.

An ornery and fun loving, crazy lady, Judy, with her Windsor-diets NO ice, loved to play on her dart and pool league tournaments. With Jimmy, she loved riding motorcycle, cruisin’ in the old T-bird, and going to the casino. She was a claw machine extraordinaire, and a chair in her room was home to plushy toys from her wins. She was a die-hard Vikings fan, often screaming and hollering at the TV and calling her family to discuss big plays. Uno and Monopoly were full contact games in her household, sometimes with threats of her THE Wooden Spoon, and many late nights were spent playing Super Mario Bro’s with her daughter until they both passed out on the living room floor.

Judy loved weekends at the lake and getting ice cream, going out on the boat, baking sourdough cookies at Christmas time accompanied by annual flour-fights, and was known to have sunflower seeds, always. She loved animals. Harley “The Bitch” was with her to the end but, Angel held the biggest spot in her heart.

Judy leaves behind her children: Jessica Harty, Patrick Petersen, and Miranda (Buzz Medenwald) Adams; her grandchildren: Myar Oltman, Griffin Mahoney, Blaine & Rylan Harty, Conner Brause, Andrew Petersen, Mikael, Kayden & Aliyah Schonhoff, Bryleigh Medenwald and Kinlee Olsen; and numerous “adopted” children and grandchildren.

Preceding her in death was her husband, Jimmy; her parents, Russell & Marjorie Barth; her grandparents, Ray & Hazel Murray, and Henry & Sophie Barth; Nephews, Joshua Meyer, and Michael Jirak; and niece, Lilly Barth.