A celebration of life for Mary Lee Peterson, of Albert Lea, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ascension Lutheran Church. The Rev. Mark Boorsma and the Rev. Leslie Neist will officiate.

Interment will be in Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at Bonnerup Funeral Service in Albert Lea and one hour before the service at the church.

Mary died peacefully at her home on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013, after a short battle with a very rare kind of cancer. She was 65.

She was born on Aug. 3, 1948, in Mankato, the daughter of Harold F. and Louise M. (Schwarz) Cords.

She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and moved to Albert Lea in 1971 for a teaching position. She married Charles R. Peterson at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Mankato on June 15, 1974, and they made their life and raised their family in Albert Lea.

Mary retired after teaching for District No. 241 for 34 years. Mary was very active in the community, volunteering at Lakeview Elementary School, a member of Naeve Hospital Auxiliary, TTT Sorority and Albert Lea Education Association. She was also a member of Ascension Lutheran Church where she had served on the Altar Guild and taught Bible school.

She enjoyed gardening, bird watching, fishing, being up north, golfing, traveling, puzzles and sudoku.

Her greatest comfort came from being surrounded by family and friends.

Mary will be lovingly missed by her husband, Charles, of Albert Lea; her sons, Jon (Mirandie) Peterson and their children Amanda, Tristan and Sean of Cheyenne, Wyo., and Nathan (Jen) Peterson and their son Leighton of Bloomington; her mother, Louise Cords, of Mankato; sisters, Sharon (Daryl) Bateman of Hutchinson and Carole (David) Hoel of Maple Grove; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Mavis Miller of Austin, Shirley and Dick Kraushaar of Myrtle, Clayt Peterson of Hayward, Darlene (Blaine) Hoar of Royal, Ark., and Gayle (Earl) Neist of Albert Lea; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Harold Cords; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Olive and Clifford Peterson; and brother-in-law, Raymond Miller.

Memorials are suggested to Albert Lea Mayo Clinic Health System’s hospice, Relay for Life or Ascension Lutheran Altar Guild.