Honor Petrosky
December 10, 1918 ~ April 9, 2019
Age 100 formerly Minnetonka. Went to be with the Lord on April 9, 2019.
Honor is preceded in death by husband, Bernard; son, Bernard; and brother, Charlie Steidley. She is survived children, Charles (Mary Beth Johnson), and Loretta (Jim) Thorson; daughter-in-law, Dorene; 5 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.
Honor was born in Waterville Minnesota on December 10, 1918 to Roy and Blanche Steidley. She grew up in Kilkenny with a younger brother, Charlie. Her father was a farmer and her mother a farmer’s wife. When she was 7 her father died. The care of her infant brother fell to Honor. Eventually Honor’s mother married Jack McGeough.
Honor attended a one room schoolhouse. When other students were reading and came across the word honor, they used to say it loudly to watch her jump. When it was time to go to high school, her parents rented a room in Waterville. Her brother was sent with for Honor to take care of while he also attended school.
Honor became a nurse and worked with Sister Kenny, private duty and ob at Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Colorado. It was there she met her husband and they communicated for the rest of WWII. Bernie and Honor married September 18, 1945. They had three children; Bernie, Charlie, and Loretta.
While Honor worked some as a nurse, she was a stay at home mom. That involved being a Cub Scout den leader and making a canvas tepee on a treadle sewing machine. She was a Girl Scout leader and forged the way into new territory, taking the girls on a bus trip to Chicago and a canoe trip down the St. Croix River. Church was an important part of her life. She attended worship, taught Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and was the historian for Oak Knoll Lutheran Church.
The family enjoyed many interesting road trips. Bernie and Honor liked camping in their Scamp trailer, fly fishing, canoeing, cross country skiing, bird watching, and reading. When Bernie retired, they took a couple of trips to Europe. Honor had an artistic side to her which included tying flies for fun and for sale, writing (even had a couple articles published in the Star Tribune), painting, and carving. At 100 years of age she still was reading the daily newspaper, had learned to email, and was trying to figure out Facebook. Honor had a large raspberry patch and they used to sell them to Lunds and Beyerlys. Growing vegetables was also a part of her life as well as freezing and canning them. She had a garden every year of her life. When a person became a friend with Honor, they were a friend for life. She was a faith filled, wise person who was loved by family and friends, both young and old.
Honor is now reunited with her husband Bernie and they are walking hand in hand.
Visitation 4-7 PM Monday April 29th at Roberts Family Funeral Home, 555 SW Centennial Dr., Forest Lake. Funeral service 11 AM Monday August 5th with visitation one hour prior at Oak Knoll Lutheran Church, 600 Hopkins Crossroad, Minnetonka. Interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Photo Gallery
We remember Grandma graciously serving us cookies and tea when she lived in assisted living. She lived near where my daughter took gymnastics so we coordinated visits around lessons. She still welcomed us with smiles and hugs as she moved from assisted living to nursing care. She proudly showed us her garden just last summer and even sent us away with beans. She always had so much love to give…even during our final good-bye. I feel very blessed and lucky that I got to know her.