HARLAN — Harold Rand Petersen, 94, of Fort Dodge handed away March 15, 2023. Petersen devoted a lot of his life to his beloved hometown of Harlan.
“I’ve been right here most of my life and it has all the time been my residence,” Petersen mentioned in an August 2004 interview with the Harlan Newspaper.
H. Rand Petersen, solely little one of Wilmer and Eunice Anderson Petersen, was born February 5, 1929 in Harlan. He graduated from Harlan Excessive Faculty in 1947, the place he was energetic in athletics and music.
Following commencement, Rand attended the College of Iowa, the place he met Mary Louise Anneberg of Carroll. The couple married in 1951. Each graduated from UI that very same yr. Rand earned a Bachelor’s diploma in Economics.
Petersen served within the Military as a gunnery teacher at Ft. Nonetheless, OK, and spent a yr with an artillery unit in Korea.
Following his army service, he started a lifelong profession within the banking business, first in Dallas Heart then Perry, earlier than the couple and their 4 youngsters Margaret, Allen, Katherine, and Steven, moved to Harlan in 1957.
The return to Harlan started Petersen’s 38-year profession at Shelby County State Financial institution — the oldest financial institution in Shelby County — the place he served as vp, president, board member, and board chairman. All through these years he owned or co-owned the financial institution till it was bought by the Lauritzen household in 1995.
“He was a person of his phrase,” mentioned enterprise affiliate and accomplice Jerry Lapke. “You could possibly do enterprise with Rand with a handshake, which isn’t frequent as we speak.”
Lapke owned the banks in Portsmouth and Panama till their merger with Shelby County State Financial institution in 1986, and he served as Financial institution President for each places of SCSB, and the 2 labored collectively as joint house owners.
“He had deep consideration for all of the folks he labored with,” Lapke mentioned.
Kevin Campbell, present SCSB President mentioned, “Whereas Rand’s well being deteriorated these final years, he maintained curiosity in what SCSB was doing and checked in typically to verify we have been working to his requirements, which have been very excessive.”
“I consider he maintained a bit of SCSB possession in his coronary heart, and it was all the time a superb day when he’d cease in to go to. We misplaced a superb man.”
Petersen’s love for Harlan and Shelby County was evidenced by his involvement with group organizations.
He was energetic within the Boy Scouts, and was Vice-President of the Mid-American Boy Scout Council. He was a member of the Harlan Methodist Church and served as a board member and in different capacities. He was energetic within the Shriners Worldwide, a board member of the Kiwanis Membership, served as president of the Harlan Industrial Improvement Board, labored with the Shelby County Group Chest, and was a member of the Harlan Downtown Improvement Company.
His involvement as the primary president of Western Iowa Pork, Inc. earned him “Man of the Yr” honors by the Harlan Chamber of Commerce in 1963.
“Petersen has carried out a whale of a job with Western Iowa Pork, Inc.,” a January 21, 1963 newspaper article said, calling him “A first-rate mover within the Shelby County efforts to draw business.”
He was each a member and president of the Iowa Bankers Affiliation.
Petersen represented the Seventh Congressional District within the Iowa Republican State Central Committee from 1962 – 1967. He served because the County Chairman and on the precinct committee. He additionally labored as marketing campaign supervisor for Governor Robert D. Ray for 4 profitable campaigns.
He was an elected member of the Harlan Metropolis Council from January 1, 2000 till December 31, 2007.
Whereas serving on the town council, he and Mary Louise have been instrumental within the planning and growth of the C. G. Theirkeldsen Exercise Heart.
“We need to construct a constructing the entire group can use,” Petersen had mentioned.
Throughout his tenure on council, Petersen was one of many driving forces behind the Christiansen subdivision, a housing addition.
On the floor breaking ceremony in Might 2009, Harlan Mayor Gary Christiansen mentioned, “This undertaking is the results of the insightful and progressive considering of a former Metropolis Council member. Throughout the years he served on the Council, Rand Petersen sought methods to enhance and to safe our group for future generations.”
Rand and Mary Louise served as co-campaign administrators for the Harlan Group Library and the library addition.
The Petersen household has a long-tradition of philanthropic endeavors in Harlan and all through the state. Due to the help and monetary funding the Petersens positioned again locally, Harlan and Shelby County prospered.
Campbell mentioned, “Rand and his household have been pillars within the communities of Harlan, Shelby County, Iowa Metropolis, and Okoboji. Their philanthropy stretches far and huge and hundreds of individuals have benefited from their items in the direction of well being care, wellness, schooling, and group betterment.”
In 1984, Petersen helped estabish the Shelby County Well being Basis, a charitable group to help well being packages throughout the county. Petersen servedas president for the inspiration.
“The provision of well being care is a basic ingredient in any space’s growth,” Petersen mentioned.
The household’s involvement with the Shelby County Well being Basis “was the seed for the contribution” that led to the Petersen Household Wellness Heart and Lewis Household Aquatic Heart, positioned at 1213 Chatburn Avenue, Harlan.
The 44,329 sq. foot facility opened in 2010, and is supplied with state-of-the-art train gear, full dimension basketball and raquetball courts, and an indoor observe.
Myrtue Medical Heart CEO Barry Jacobsen mentioned, “Rand Petersen has been instrumental and main contributor in supporting high quality healthcare and wellness in our group.”
“We’re grateful for Rand and Mary Louise’s steadfast dedication to our healthcare system, the Shelby County Well being Basis and the Wellness Heart. He’s leaving an enduring legacy with the Petersen Household Wellness Heart and his funding and dedication to our group’s well being and happiness.”
Rand was a founder and normal accomplice for The Harlan Downtown Improvement Company, based in 1978. The company consisted of over 20 restricted companions who every invested $5,000 in the direction of the group.
In 1993, 4 generations of the Petersen household gathered for the dedication of Vern and Wilmer Petersen Wildlife Administration Space, positioned southwest of Manilla.
Rand inspired his mother and father to donate an expanse of grassland and ponds on the Shelby-Crawford County line. The 450 acres was the previous Petersen farm, and gives year-round public out of doors recreation.
Rand and Mary Louise advocated for the Endow Harlan Fund, formally created in March 2004. The inspiration, now underneath the umbrella of the Shelby County Group Basis, permits folks to contribute funds for numerous nonprofit organizations in Harlan they deemed essential.
In 1996, Rand was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Iowa. He and Mary Louise made annual contributions to the College of Iowa Basis to help quite a lot of college packages, together with the Faculty of Schooling, the Iowa Ladies’s Archives, UI Libraries, Outdated Capitol, the Museum of Pure Historical past, the Museum of Artwork, Hawkeye athletics, and the UI Alumni Affiliation.
As well as, the Petersen’s established the Mary Louise Petersen Endowed Chair in Increased Schooling within the college’s Faculty of Schooling. The Petersens have been members of the Faculty of Liberal Arts Dean’s Membership, the UI Alumni Affiliation’s Administrators’ Membership, and the Basis’s Presidents Membership.
“Their help additionally consists of beneficiant items for unrestricted use, offering a essential useful resource that may be directed towards areas of best want on the college.
Petersen served on the nationwide committee for the Hawkeye Enviornment Recreation Marketing campaign and has been an energetic member of the advocates of UI Hospitals and Clinics,” UI representatives mentioned.
Funeral service for H. Rand Petersen will likely be held Wednesday, March 29 at 11 a.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Dwelling in Harlan, preceded by visitation from 10 – 11 a.m. on the funeral residence. Burial will happen at Rose Hill Cemetery in Kirkman.