Paul Petersen

The life of the party went home early. Paul Lawrence Petersen, age 48, of De Smet, SD, died on Monday, December 1, 2025, at home with his family.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, December 5, 2025, at United Methodist Church in De Smet, SD. Pastor Tia Felberg will officiate. The service will be live-streamed via the Crawford-Osthus website. Light snacks and fellowship will be held from 2:00-3:30PM at the De Smet Event and Wellness Center following the services at the church.

Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 PM on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in De Smet, SD.

Private burial at De Smet Cemetery.

Donations can be made to De Smet United Methodist Church with "general funds honoring Paul" in the memo.

Paul was a friend to everyone, but the most important and favorite role of Paul’s was being Oscar’s Dad. Oscar was his pride, his joy, his buddy, and his favorite son. They had an affectionate banter, referring to each other as “Loser” while making the “L” sign with a thumb and index finger. What the “L” really stood for is love.

Paul was a jokester, often found holding court with his throngs of admirers. His humor was a magnet that pulled people in, but they stuck around because of his generous heart.

Paul lived well and died conducting a master class in strength, resilience, contentment, and dignity. He may have been a stubborn, grumpy mule at times, but during his final days he was a role model of grace and peace. Every step he took closer to his faithful God was made in eager submission to Providence’s plan for him.

Paul was born two weeks late on a bright and sunny November Monday in 1977, welcomed lovingly by his parents, Marilyn and Harley Petersen. He joined the family as the third child, often referred to as the baby until 8 years later when his little sister blessed the family.

From the beginning, Paul was a joy to be with. He was often found in tandem with his older brother running around the northeast neighborhood near Grant Elementary School in Watertown, South Dakota.

Paul moved with his family a couple of miles north to Jonathan Drive into the house he helped his parents build and where he spent his adolescent and teenage years. He graduated from Watertown High School in 1996.

He turned his part-time, after school job into a full-time career in the Watertown Hy-Vee grocery store bakery where he earned the nickname, Baker Paul, and a fanbase of Bakery Ladies.

Paul made lifelong friendships playing league softball and coaching a women’s team, where he met Oscar’s Mom. He became a father on August 8, 2008, the first birthday his namesake maternal grandfather would spend without his wife to celebrate the anniversary of her birth. Hence, Oscar Lawrence became the first and only child to Paul. It also happened to be Paul’s parents’ 39th wedding anniversary – a very special day in the Petersen Family.

After 13 years, Paul hung up his apron at Hy-Vee and worked at a seed company for a few years. In 2016 he found his true home for work at Lyle Signs and for life in De Smet, South Dakota. Life doesn’t always make sense; Paul began his cancer journey in October of that year, diagnosed with chondroblastic osteosarcoma.

By March of 2017, a piece of Paul would begin his long, difficult walk toward heaven when his right leg was amputated to save his life. The next 9 years would become a series of doctors’ appointments, chemotherapies, trips to Mayo Clinic, near misses with death and ongoing illness as the cancer metastasized from his leg to his lungs and finally his intestines. The fast-growing tumors could not be stopped, eventually taking control of Paul’s young body.

Paul is survived by his favorite person in the world and his only child, Oscar Petersen. No parent should ever feel the pain of losing a child. Harley and Marilyn Petersen also survive Paul and find comfort knowing they will sooner rather than later join Paul in Heaven.

Also left in deep grief are his family including Oscar’s Mom Julie (Dobson) Petersen, who always stepped up to the task of aiding in Paul’s care; his sisters, who had the absolute honor and pleasure of caring for Paul many times, whether he wanted them to or not. Paul’s familiar refrain to Malinda Petersen’s and Anna (Petersen) Howard’s question, “Do you want us to come out and be with you”? was, “Only if you want to” until the very end when the response changed to “You better come.” Paul’s footnote (pun intended) to his sisters is that Malinda gets top billing only because she’s the older sister. He bequeathed one of them his title, “Funniest Sibling,” but he took what one to his grave.

Paul knew that his sisters could not have come to his aid without the support of their husbands, Brian Bowdle and Daryl Howard, the outlaws, who both will miss their brother from another mother immensely. Paul adored his siblings’ children, Molly Fowler of Chicago, Tyson Petersen and his fiancé Sara of Aberdeen, Isaac Petersen and his son Rusty of Watertown, and Clara Howard and Harley Howard of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Paul has several aunts, uncles, and cousins on both his parents’ sides who cared deeply for him. Left in grief are the Texas Family aka the Knudsen Knuts: “Auntie” Elizabeth (Uncle Craig) Stephens, their daughters Amanda (Kyle) Maxwell and Kristina (Jocelyn) Stephens and each of their daughters, Kinley and Blakely, respectively; Uncle Steve (Aunt Christie) Knudsen and their daughters Leslie (Nate) Murphy, Amy (Jimmy) Stout and their son Will, and Sallie J Knudsen.

Petersen-side cousin Tina (Engelson) and Todd O’Hara were both family and true friends. They sold Paul his first car for one dollar! Tina was a loyal companion to Paul when he was in the hospital, honored to play cards, watch football, or sit contentedly with him for hours.  

So many friends have cheered on Paul, even creating Baker’s Bash, a softball tournament fundraiser held annually for many years in Hayti and benefiting families dealing with long-term illnesses.

Paul’s Lyle Signs family had his back from the start. Paul loved his work but loved his coworkers more. Tad Flood’s enduring support in the past decade helped Paul and his family navigate the long road Paul took attempting to stay healthy.

Paul revered his faith home, De Smet United Methodist Church, where he cooked countless Sharing meals, serving his community alongside Pastor Tia Felberg and his Church Ladies. His delicious fare helped grow the cause. He loved cooking and delighted in discussing recipes and techniques with anyone keen to listen. Even in his last days Paul insisted on cooking for his family.

Preceding Paul in death and paving a clear path toward eternal life were Paul’s paternal grandparents, “Hayti Grandma” Clara (Nielsen) and Anton Petersen and maternal grandparents Mary (O’Toole) and Lawrence “Lanky” Knudsen, whose own cancer journey inspired Paul to live joyfully with cancer.

Arrangements entrusted to Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel              www.crawfordosthus.com

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