Lucille Petras

Lucille Petras, 93, of Humboldt, passed away June 4, 2011 at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake.  Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Friday at the Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt with the Rev. Walden Paige officiating.  Interment will be in Union Cemetery, Humboldt.  Visitation is from 10-11 a.m. Friday at the Church.  The Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home of Humboldt is in charge of arrangements.
Lucille is survived by her three daughters, Joan (Edward) Rude of Storm Lake, Donna (John) Lauritsen of La Claire, and Paula (Robert) Zuhlsdorf of Edina, MN; 8 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; her sister, Doris Ihde of Crystal Lake, IL.  She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Milan; and two brothers, Donald and George Fritzsche.
Lucille Fritzsche, the daughter of Ernest Edward and Ruth Mae (Little) Fritzsche, was born April 16, 1918 in Primghar, Iowa.  She attended Morningside College in Sioux City and graduated with a degree in Music Education.  After teaching two years in the Ireton Public Schools, she continued her teaching career in the Primghar School District.  Pursuing her love of singing, Lucille moved to Chicago in 1943 to study voice.  It was in the vocal studio that she met Milan Petras.  When Milan returned home after World War II, he and Lucille were united in marriage on July 27, 1946.  In 1953 the couple moved to Humboldt, Iowa where Lucille taught elementary music education for 25 years.
Dedicated to her passion for music, Lucille enjoyed directing choirs at the Faith United Methodist Church and the Congregational United Church of Christ, as well as teaching music at Vacation Bible School.  After retiring from teaching in 1980, she taught a large private piano class for 30 years.
Most of all Lucille cherished time spent with family, and up until five years ago she and Milan planned annual vacations to the Boundary Waters with their families.