Ines A. Peter

INES ANNA PETER was born on July 28, 1925, to Lawrence and Christina (Hoien) Nelsen in Ringsted, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church. She was raised on a dairy farm with two brothers and a sister. She babysat, did housework and, eventually, worked in the local grocery store.

Ines met Leland Peter while visiting relatives in Tyler, Minnesota. They were married in 1947, and together raised four children: Connie Sjerven of Brooklyn, Iowa, Kevin (Connie) Peter of LaCrescent, Minnesota, Gregory (Marilyn) Peter of Tyler, and Gail (Dean) Toft of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Raising four kids all born within five years was a full-time job. Freshly polished white shoes twice a day is a small indication of her pride in her children.

Ines was the strong woman behind the man who became the local banker and then owner of Citizens State Bank of Tyler. She was very proud of her Danish heritage and always had Æbleskiver in the freezer for surprise guests. She chauffeured the Grand Marshal of Æbleskiver Days in one of her convertibles for many years. People took advantage of the opportunity to shout “Happy Birthday” to her along the parade route. She loved convertibles and even opened a car wash in the 60’s to keep her cars Spic’n Span.

Iney, as she was affectionately known by those who loved her, was an entertainer. It was a priority of hers to include music in her children’s lives as she was a singer all of her life. Whether serving friends coffee with her famous raisin bread in her home, telling one of her tried and true jokes, meeting up with friends at the local watering hole, and even appearing as the bank teller in the locally produced movie “The Farmer of the Year,” her mission was to make everyone smile. She never knew a stranger.

She traveled to China, Brazil, and Italy and loved a Caribbean cruise. A born dancer, she was even called to the stage on a cruise to do the cha-cha.

She was classy but humble. She dressed “to the nines” and shopped at the Goodwill. She was our best friend and yours. The entire family revolved around Iney and her magnetic personality. She was everything…. And she loved to dance.

She leaves countless wonderful memories with her four children; eight grandchildren; and thirteen great-grandchildren. Grandchildren include Bret Sjerven, Drew Sjerven, Chelsie Moore, Logan Peter, Illana Peter, Eric Toft, Bryan Toft, and Leanna Helmers.

She was a member of the Eastern Star and Danebod Lutheran Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leland; her parents; brothers, Russell and Harvey; and sister, Enid. She passed away at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Sunday, June 27, 2021.