Genevieve Bothun

Genevieve Bothun died Sunday, December 3, 2023 at Johnson Memorial Care Center in Dawson at the age of 88.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 8, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Lac qui Parle Lutheran Church.  Rev. Bruce Bringle will officiate and interment will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 7, from 4 - 7:00 at Lac qui Parle Lutheran Church with a prayer service at 6:30 PM.  Arrangements are with Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson.

Genevieve Arlene (Peterson) Bothun was born December 8, 1934 in rural Canby, MN to Oscar and Hazel (Wicks) Peterson.  As a young girl, Gen attended country school in rural Canby and graduated from Dawson High School in 1952.  After her graduation, she attended teachers training and then went to work teaching in a one room school, District 55 by Boyd..  She married her high school sweetheart, Alden Bothun on June 5, 1954 and to this union 6 sons were born.  She was a wonderful and busy Mother!  She loved sports and joined in the fun, playing ball with her boys.  When they all entered school, she went back to her teaching days and worked many years as an aid in the elementary school.  The days were busy attending all her boy’s activities and sporting events.

Gen had many talents.  One being an excellent seamstress.  She sewed most of her and the boys clothing, including their suits worn for confirmations and graduations.  Those skills were also used at her job at the Watson Doll factory and later as she joined the team at Clarkfield Outdoors, where she designed many of the patterns for their clothing line of coats and jackets.  She was also very active on the farm, jumping on the tractor when she returned home from her “day job” helping with spring planting and fall harvest.  And cooking, oh could she cook!

Her love for gardening was also one of her many talents.  She would spend winter months paging through the flower catalogs and waited patiently for her orders to arrive.  If there was a spot of ground untouched, she planted something that would turn out to be as beautiful as she was.

She also was very active in the Lac Qui Parle Lutheran Church lending a helping hand on many committees, serving as Sunday School teacher, and sharing her talent of sewing creating many quilts.

Gen and Alden and their little dog, Princess, decided it was time to leave the farm and moved into Dawson in 2005.  After Alden’s passing, she stayed very busy with her family, church and lady friends at social events.  But her busy lifestyle changed quickly in January of 2020 when she entered the Johnson Memorial Care Center until her passing.

Gen was a sweetheart.  She never angered or spoke an ill word.  Her heart was so full of love for her family and friends.  Her smile and giggle will never be forgotten.

She is survived by her sons: Brad (Martie), Greg (Tami), Kevin (Monica), Doug (Deb), and Steve (Lisa); daughter-in-law, LuAnn Bothun; brother, Wayne Peterson; brother-in-law, Verdell (Diane); 27 grandchildren: Eric (Melissa), Scott (Tasha), Emily, Cori (Brook), Joseph (Tristin), Kristin (Paul Daline), Brian (Kayla), Billy Joe (Hope), Cheri (Aaron Ziemer), Dustin (friend Andrea), Danielle (Josh Lundy), Ryan (Rachel), Nikole (Ken Nelson) Cody (Ranita) Richard (Cori), Ben (Chelsie),  Dave, Luke (Carli), Tom (Crystal) Mike (Samantha), Jim (Lindsey), Jake (Ashley), Donny, Jr., Jordan, Mary, Dylan (Stef) and Garrett (Michelle); and 58 great-grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Alden; a son, Donald; special aunt, Pearl; sister-in-law, Joyce Peterson; and a great-grandson, Landon.