Randine "Randy" Peterson: 52 Ancestors Prompt "Independent"

52 Ancestors Prompt: Independent

Randine “Randy” Peterson 1899-1965

            My aunt, Randine Peterson, known for most of her life as Randy, was born February 10, 1899, the second child of nine born to Regina Syverson Peterson and Paul Peterson, my grandparents. She grew up on the Peterson farm outside the small town of Hanska, Minnesota.

            Most of Paul and Regina’s children remained in the Hanska area after they became adults, often marrying neighbors. Randy was different. By the time of the 1920 census, she had left home to make her own way in the world. She couldn’t have been more than twenty when she left. While I haven’t been able to find a 1920 census record for her, by the time of the 1930 census, she was the part owner of a restaurant in Minneapolis. As far as I know, the family had no connections or relatives in the Minneapolis area; Randy moved to the big city on her own.


            Unlike her sisters, Randy never married. She was a tall, spare woman, taller than any of her five sisters. She visited her home town and her family regularly, but remained a Minneapolis area resident for the rest of her life. 

                                   1930 census shows Randy as part owner of restaurant

             She first lived as a lodger in someone else’s home, but by the 1940 census she was renting her own home at 44 North 16^th in Minneapolis, and described herself as a fry cook. My brother believes the restaurant was more a diner than a fine dining establishment, but it provided a solid living for her. By the time of her death, she seems to have bought a house in the Richfield area, at 7527 Penn Ave. South. The home was newly built in 1959, so Randy may have been the original owner. 

                                                    Randy's house at her death in 1965


            Like many of her siblings, Randy died from a heart attack at a fairly young age. She was only 66 years old. I have few clear memories of her, as I was only six years old when she died on Valentine’s Day, 1965.

                                          Peterson siblings--Randy front far right, tallest

            I remember her as being tall and rather imposing, with a deeper voice than her sisters. Her hair was always fixed nicely, and she preferred to wear dresses at family gatherings. I wish I knew more about her and her life. Unlike her sisters, Randy forged her own path, and remained independent and self-reliant.