Amelene (Amy) Mae Petersen passed away on Monday, March 30, 2026 at Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, NE. Amy was born on July 14, 1938 near Haigler, NE. She was the oldest of six children born to Amel and Eunice (Douglass) Peterson.
Amy married Harlan Petersen on Oct 7, 1962 in McCook NE. The couple made their home on a farm south of Curtis NE where they welcomed their three sons to complete their family. Steve, Darrell, and Gary kept their mom very busy while their dad drove truck over the road for a number of years. Amy enjoyed music and played piano for every church they belonged to. She retired from that volunteer position at the end of last year. She graduated from high school in Laird, CO and held a teaching certificate for a number of years until she returned to college and got her Bachelor’s degree from Kearney State in 1987.
In 1990, the couple moved to the Hemingford area, eventually settling near Hay Springs where Amy taught school while Harlan continued trucking. They soon retired to Hemingford, where Amy was a member of the United Methodist church and PEO. She most recently lived at Apollo Court where she enjoyed meeting with her “Pepsi girls” weekly.
Amy is survived by her sons, Steve (Linda) of Hemingford, Darrell (Joni) of Lusk, WY, Gary (Cindy) of Cozad, and foreign exchange student Varun (Geetu) Kohli and his children Arnav and Lara, her grandchildren Miles (Bo) Petersen of Pinedale WY, Chelsea (Matt) Sernett, Lincoln NE, and Blaine (Tori) Petersen, Lott TX. She is also survived by her 7 great grandchildren, Grady, Adele, and Will Petersen, Lexi and Landon Sernett, and Briley Petersen and a new baby sibling on the way, and many nieces and nephews. Her siblings surviving her are her brother Larry (Gail) Peterson of Imperial, and sisters Connie Buresh of Littleton CO, Gail Fae (Pat) Wees of Boise ID, Sharon (C. Dave) Rogers of Estes Park CO, and Kathy (Ron) Riley of Lincoln NE.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harlan, her parents and Harlan’s parents and a brother-in-law John Buresh.
Services will be held at 2 PM on Wednesday, April 8 at the Hemingford United Methodist Church with Pastor Bae officiating. Burial will be held at a later date in Curtis NE. Memorials are suggested to Hemingford Methodist Church or the donor’s choice.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com with Bates-Gould Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.