Larry Dean Petersen, 72, of Brooklyn and formerly of Grinnell, died on February 10, 2020, at the V.A. Hospital in Iowa City. A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday, February 13th at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Grinnell with Rev. Dr. Joel Koepp officiating. Organist will be Pam Haase. Burial will be held at a later date at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton. Visitation with the Petersen family present will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. A Masonic service is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Wednesday followed by military rites at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be designated to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, 400 E. Court Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Larry was born on August 31, 1947, in Atlantic, Iowa, the son of Lester James and Phyllis Ann Port Petersen. He was raised in Kimballton and was a 1965 graduate of Elk Horn-Kimballton High School. He was a veteran of the United States Navy serving with the Assault Craft Unit One while in Vietnam. He was a recipient of the Bronze Star and Gallantry Cross. He was united in marriage with Terri Copple in 1971 in Sloan, Iowa. They are the parents of three children, Nicole, Kristi, and Jesse. They were later divorced and in August of 1991, he was married to Theresa Milota, at the Trinity Lutheran Church, rural Malcom. They are the parents of two children, Cody and Kiara. Following their divorce, Larry was united in marriage to Rita Kriegel on November 21, 2015, at her home in Brooklyn. Larry had lived in Long Beach, California, northwest Iowa, and Victor before moving to Grinnell in 1973. He later moved to Brooklyn in 2014. Prior to moving to Grinnell, he attended the Iowa State Patrol Academy at Camp Dodge. He served with the Iowa State Patrol for nearly 30 years and retired in June of 2002. Larry was considered a master woodturner, a good handyman, and held a passion for woodworking. He created many beautiful bowls for family members and had built many decks and cradles. He loved sports and was a pretty good tennis and racket ball player. He enjoyed fishing in Canada, playing cribbage, and shooting pool; he was on a pool league team while wintering in Mesa, Arizona. He was self-taught playing the guitar and with many hobbies around the house. But most importantly was his love and devotion towards his family. He was their biggest fan and supporter. Survivors include his wife, Rita of Brooklyn; his children, Nicole Pixley of Colorado Springs, Kristi Petersen of Grinnell, Jesse Petersen of Montezuma, Cody Petersen of Kansas City, Kiara Petersen of New Braunfels, Texas, Jennifer (Mike) Hildebrand of Brooklyn, Heather Ochs of Brooklyn, and Angie (Jay) Riddell of Sparland, Illinois; one brother, Brent (Diane) Petersen of Avoca; seven grandchildren, Kaitlyn and Allison Hildebrand, Madison and Mason Maschmann, Ryan and Cooper Riddell, and Greyson Petersen; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Dennis Lee Petersen.