March 11, 1938-May 11, 2026 at the age of 88

Hans was predeceased by his son Ronn and leaves to mourn his passing, his wife of 65 years Grace and their five girls Ria (Dan), Deanna (Jerry), Rozanne (Myles), Lisa (Bruce) and Amanda (Chris) along with 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Hans was born to Johann Heinrich and Elisabeth Petersen in Cappel Kreis Marburg Germany.  He and a buddy decided to travel the world at the tender age of 17, crossing the ocean on a steam ship in 1955. They ran out of money in Manitoba so Hans became a jack of all trades to survive.  He met the love of his life, Grace, in Thompson where they were both working. They were wed in 1960.  Hans always liked adventure, new challenges, and looking for ways to “save a few dollars, make a few bucks”.  As a result, he and Grace lived many places in Manitoba over the years but no matter where he was, Hans always tried his hardest to provide for his family, often spending much time on the road trucking.  The job he liked to speak of most was with Silverwood Dairies.  He loved delivering dairy to all the rural small-town stores and spoke of it often.  Hans and Grace were eventually led by the Spirit to St. Eustache and Elie.  There they found a community of wonderful people with whom to spend the rest of their days.

Hans will always be remembered for his gorgeous gardens, hard work, hurry up let’s go attitude, adventurous spirit, and sometimes just the right amount of goofiness!

The family would like to sincerely thank the staff of the Portage District General Hospital for their compassion and care in Hans’s final days.

Cremation has taken place and Hans will be laid to rest in Elie MB at the Blessed Sacrament Church Cemetery at a later date.  Donations may be made in his memory to a charity of your choice.

Family and friends are invited to share memories and condolences on Hans’ memorial page using the comment field below.