Connie Pederson, 79, Valley City, ND passed away at SMP Health-St. Raphael in Valley City on March 19, 2022.\u00a0 Her funeral service will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, March 26, 2022, at Faith Lutheran Church, Valley City.\u00a0 Visitation will be on Friday at the church starting at 5:00 PM and will continue until 7:00 at which time a prayer service will be held.\u00a0 The funeral service will be livestreamed then archived and available to view along with her obituary on her tribute page at www.lerudmathias.com<\/p>\n
Constance \u201cConnie\u201d Emerson was born July 8, 1942, to Selmer and Thelma (Torgerson) Emerson in Bottineau, ND.\u00a0 She was raised on the family farm north of there and attended the country school, Hilton No. 5, from grades one through eight.\u00a0 Her high school years were spent in Bottineau, graduating from Bottineau High School as Salutatorian of her class in 1960.\u00a0 After high school, she attended the Bottineau School of Forestry and graduated Cum Laude in 1962 with a degree in Secretarial Science.\u00a0 Connie worked at the School of Forestry as Secretary to the President and for the Forestry Department for one and a half years.\u00a0 She received her BS in Office Administration and Management from Valley City State University in May of 1991.<\/p>\n
On June 2, 1963, she married Lawrence \u201cLarry\u201d Pederson at the First Lutheran Church in Bottineau.\u00a0 They moved to Mayville, ND for a year while he completed his education, while Connie worked as a bookkeeper and receptionist.\u00a0 In the fall of 1964, they moved to Bisbee, ND, where he taught and coached for three years.\u00a0 Connie was a Charter Member of the Vistarion Club while in Bisbee.\u00a0 A son, Larry, was born to them on December 28, 1965.\u00a0 Their next move was to LaMoure in 1967 where they lived for four years.\u00a0 A daughter, Sara, was born to them on January 22, 1969.<\/p>\n
Connie was involved in church activities and homemakers and worked part-time while in LaMoure.\u00a0 In the fall of 1971, they moved to Valley City and that has been home to her ever since.\u00a0 She worked as bookkeeper and receptionist at Culligan Soft Water Conditioning from 1974-1980.\u00a0 Then they became co-owners of the Dario Drive-In for two years.\u00a0 In the fall of 1982, she started working at Valley City State University and worked in the Registrar\u2019s Office there for 25 years.\u00a0 She retired on July 31, 2007.<\/p>\n
Connie has been very active in the Faith Lutheran Church at Valley City as a Sunday School Teacher, president of WELCA, the Altar Guild and the church choir.\u00a0 Her other activities include being a member of the Merry Maids Homemakers Club, the Order of the Eastern Star, a Winter Show Board Director, P.E.O., and Women of ELCA.\u00a0 While in Star, she was active on the state level as well as local and served as Grand Adah for one year and Grand Chaplain for one year.<\/p>\n
She loved to go camping with her husband and family, they liked to travel and have been all over the United States, she liked to walk and keep active, she loved to read, and most of all, loved spending time with her grandsons and friends.<\/p>\n
Connie was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Joyce Lystad and Joan Wall; and an infant sister.\u00a0 She is survived by her husband, Lawrence; son, Larry (Latha) Pederson of St. Michael, MN; daughter, Sara (Mark) Neill of Ft. Atkinson, WI; grandsons, Christopher Neill, Brennan and Therin Pederson.<\/p>\n
In lieu of flowers, donations, in memory of Connie, to the Alzheimer’s Association are appreciated.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n