Visitation: Saturday, September 25, 2021, 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M., Peterson Mortuary, 212 S. Locust Street, Glenwood, Iowa.
Celebration of Life Service: Saturday, September 25, 2021, 1:00 P.M., Peterson Mortuary, 212 S. Locust Street, Glenwood, Iowa.
Denise L. (Peterson) Hjelle was born on August 4, 1923, in Storm Lake, Iowa to Edna (Lundien) and Jack Peterson. She was the youngest of their five children and grew up in the Storm Lake area. In 1940 she graduated from Storm Lake High School at age 16 and went on to Buena Vista College where she studied Education.
After completing her 2-year degree, she began her teaching career. Denise worked in school districts throughout Iowa, including those in Lu Verne, Paullina, Sigourney, Glidden, Carroll County, Tabor and Glenwood. Early on in her teaching career she met Arnold Hjelle, a fellow teacher and administrator. They quickly fell in love and on May 2, 1943, Denise and Arnold were married in Bode, Iowa.
Together they had five children including: Allan, Craig, Mark, Kirk and Debra.
Having five children in the span of 10 years meant that they had a very busy household with someone coming and going all the time-and through it all, Denise was incredibly patient and kind even when putting up with all their shenanigans, which are too numerous to recount here. Despite all the shenanigans, she experienced as a young mother, she also experienced the many successes and accomplishments of the five.
Besides teaching, Denise also loved hosting family gatherings, gardening, babysitting grandkids, reading, cooking, playing Bridge and traveling with her husband, Arnold. She was a long-time member of the United Methodist Church and her Glenwood PEO group.
Denise lived and loved well, and she will missed by many.
On Saturday, September 18, 2021, Denise passed away at Methodist Jennie Hospital in Council Bluffs at the age of 98.
Denise was preceded in death by her parents, four siblings and husband-Arnold.
She is survived by her children: Allan (Susan) of Elk Horn, Iowa, Craig (Barbara) of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Mark (Kristine) of Papillion, Nebraska, Kirk of Casper, Wyoming and Debra (Mike Matz) of Greely, Colorado, along with her 8 Grandchildren and 18 Great-Grandchildren.
Private interment, Glenwood Cemetery, Glenwood, Iowa.
