Vera "Pete" Lutz

Mrs. Vera “Pete” Lutz age 97 of St. Peter, MN died on Thursday March 17, 2016 at Benedictine Senior Court in St. Peter.

 A memorial service will be held at 11 am Saturday, April 2, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church (511 S 5th St.) St. Peter with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at the church. A private burial will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date. St. Peter Funeral Home is assisting the family.

 Vera was born June 17, 1918 in Dundas MN to Soren & Anna (Madsen) Smidt. In the early 1930s, she moved with her family to St. Peter, where she graduated from the St. Peter High School and attended Mankato Commercial College. Vera was a bookkeeper at her family’s business, the St. Peter Creamery, before her marriage to Byron (Lefty) Lutz on Jan 18, 1941 in Minneapolis.

 Vera & her husband were owners & operators of the Boulevard Drive Inn for 15 years and she also worked in the St. Peter School Lunch program for 10 yrs. Vera was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and Harvest Festival group, the American Legion Auxiliary and also did volunteer work. She enjoyed traveling, their summer cottage, playing cards & water aerobics with her friends at the American Inn.

Vera is survived by her two sons: Robert and wife Kathy, of St. Peter and Brian of Minneapolis; three grandchildren: Andy (Nikki) Lutz, Kyle Lutz & Michelle Lutz; two step grandchildren Nicole (Mike) Nelson, Max Kline; and three great grandchildren: Marshall, Wyatt and Dylan Nelson; sister-in-law Mary Stenzel and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by husband Byron Lutz; two sisters: Helen Ewalt and Eleonora Huffman; three sisters-in-law and six brothers-in-law.