Sally Mae (Aronson) Peterson

Sally Mae Peterson, 78, of Willmar, formerly of Kerkhoven, died Wednesday, January 1st at Copper Leaf Senior Living in Willmar.  Her funeral will be 11:00 am, Saturday, January 11th at Bethel Lutheran Church in Willmar with burial in Hillside Cemetery in Kerkhoven.  Visitation will be from 5-7:00 pm, Friday, January 10th at Harvey Anderson Funeral Home in Willmar and continue on Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church.  In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to: Hawk Creek Animal Shelter, Willmar, MN, www.thehskmc.com or Parkinson’s Foundation, www.parkinson.org.  A live stream of Sally's service can be found here.

Sally was born February 12, 1946, in Oakland, CA, the daughter of Chester and Mae (Elliott) Aronson. She was baptized and confirmed in Oakland and later became a member of the Kerkhoven Lutheran Church. She lived in Oakland where she graduated from Oakland High School in 1963. Following graduation, she continued her education at Concordia College – Moorhead, where she studied choral conducting and violin, and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Music degree in 1967. While at Concordia College she met Mr. Solyst, who on the spot offered her a teaching position at Kerkhoven - Sunburg High School. Immediately following her graduation, she moved to Kerkhoven and began her teaching career in the fall of 1967. During this time, she cultivated an extraordinary choral legacy and took her choirs all over the state to participate in various contests and performances. Sally’s musical ear and her ability to recognize and cultivate vocal talent through meticulous practice meant that Sally’s choirs became known as the gold standard throughout the state. Students remember her eclectic attire, eccentric personality, and never making it through a song without stopping.

In addition to being a passionate teacher, Sally enjoyed participating in various musical groups around the community. She toured with the All-State Lutheran Choir, spent many years performing with the Willmar Community Symphonic Orchestra, The Barn Theater, and numerous other organizations and ensembles both large and small. Through her love of music she connected with countless musicians across the area and developed many strong friendships that lasted throughout the years. Besides her love of music, Sally frequently traveled to Europe and across the United States, often with friends. She always knew where to stop to see the most iconic churches, concerts, museums, and shops.

Sally was an avid card player, and it was in the early 1980’s while playing cards at Arlene’s Cafe, that she met Melvin. The two were united in marriage at Bethel Lutheran Church November 26th, 1983. Five years later they were blessed with one daughter, Esther Mae. Sally’s love of music was passed on to her daughter and throughout Esther’s formative years they provided musical performances in local churches and the community. Sally took her daughter’s musical education very seriously and always made sure to get her to all of her lessons, even though they may be at great distance. Although she was apprehensive about Esther's affinity for basketball, after some coaxing, Sally and Melvin both enjoyed going to all of her games.

In 2008, after 41 years of teaching, Sally retired from KMS due to Parkinson’s Disease. Although she was unable to teach, she continued to be a part of the musical community. Whether taking friends and family to concerts in the cities, conducting small choirs, going to her daughter’s concerts or attending other concerts in the area, Sally’s love of music remained a huge part of her life. As anyone who knew Sally, it would be remiss to not mention her fondness for cats, Coca-Cola, and turtles. She was often endearingly referred to as the “cat lady” and there are countless stories surrounding her and her feline friends. Sally continued to live on the farm until 2018 when she moved to Willmar due to her progressing Parkinson’s Disease.

Surviving is her daughter, Esther Peterson and son-in-law, Alex Filler, of Hoboken, NJ, and several nieces, nephews, and other family members. Sally was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Melvin, on April 17, 2004, and brother, Joseph Skidmore.

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