Jill A. Peterson

Jill A. Peterson, age 79, of Mankato, died on Monday, June 8, 2020 at Oak Terrace Assisted Living Facility in Le Sueur, MN.

Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 20 at 1:00 p.m. at Mankato Mortuary. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery.  Due to COVID-19 guidelines, social distancing will be observed and the number of visitation and service guests allowed will be monitored.

Jill was born on July 15, 1940 in Mankato to Chester and Evelyn (Kendall) Klawitter.  She graduated from Mankato High School. Jill received her BS in secondary teaching and English and her master’s degree in counseling from Mankato State University. She raised three boys.  Jill taught English at Lake Crystal and Mankato West High School and worked for Blue Earth County as a job counselor for many years.  She was also actively involved in Al-Anon. Jill later became a licensed psychologist, started her career at Lutheran Social Services and ultimately began her own practice in the Mankato area.  Which she pursued for many years, offering an array of therapies, counseling, and testing services. In all these ways Jill pursued what she felt was her life's work, to help others. Even in her last years at Oak Terrace Assisted Living Facility she naturally fell into the role of unofficial counselor and friend to her fellow residents and did what she could to help them.  Jill enjoyed gardening and making her home beautiful on the inside and the out. She enjoyed reading literature and had a great appreciation for archaeology and the art and history of many cultures, particularly Egyptian. Over her lifetime she owned and cared for a number of animals including horses, cats, dogs, songbirds and also held a distant appreciation for the majestic beauty and strength of elephants. Dementia in her final years prevented her from partaking in many of these things. The family thanks the Oak Terrace staff for their expert care.

Jill is survived by her three sons, Troy Briar, Marc (Debra) Briar, and Eric Peterson, all of Mankato and her granddaughter, Nicole Ann Briar of Mankato. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Kaye Allen; and nephew, Donnie Allen.