Mary A. Peters

Mary (Johnson) Peters, age 84, of Watertown, SD, formerly of Wilmot, SD, passed away on April 17, 2026, in Watertown.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Wilmot Lutheran Church in Wilmot. Pastor Kay Reeb will officiate. Visitation will be held on Monday, April 20, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church on Tuesday, one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at Wilmot Cemetery.

The service will be livestreamed, recorded, and viewable below this obituary.

Mary Ann Johnson Peters was born on January 14, 1942, in Marvin, SD, to Ella (Nelson) and Edward Johnson. She graduated from Milbank High School in 1960.

Mary married Gene Johnsen and together lived in North Carolina, and Huron, SD, then settled in Milbank to raise their three children: Van, Carie, and Dawn.

Mary later married Merle Osterloh of Wilmot, SD. She and Merle built a life rooted in hard work and commitment to family. Merle was a rancher, and together they raised cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens. Mary was an adventurous entrepreneur. She owned and operated the Wilmot Dairy Bar and the Wilmot Flower Shop. In later years, they owned the Budget One Motel in Watertown. Merle preceded her in death in 2006.

Mary was united in marriage to Chuck Peters in 2008, with whom she shared her retirement years. They enjoyed traveling, shared a love of flower gardens, and enjoyed bird watching. Through this marriage, she was welcomed into an extended family that included stepchildren: Jeff (Connie) Peters, Scott (Paula) Peters, and Valerie (the late Randy) Lauen; step-grandsons: Joshua, Robert, Bryce and Jordon; step-granddaughters: Ashley and Amanda; along with six step-great-grandchildren: Levi, Walker, Ezra, Kora, Ryleigh, and Reagan.

Mary will be remembered not only for what she did, but also for how she lived. Mary enjoyed traveling, new adventures, and sharing countless moments of joy with her children, sisters, nieces, nephews, and friends. Those times were filled with laughter, storytelling, and shared experiences and were among her greatest joys.

Though her life included hardship, she faced each challenge with remarkable perseverance, resilience, and unwavering devotion to those she loved. Although Mary’s presence will be deeply missed, her love and legacy will continue to inspire all who knew her.

Mary is survived by her husband, Chuck Peters of Watertown, SD; her children: Van (Georgia) Johnsen of Amery, WI; Carie Johnsen of Pawtucket, RI; and five grandchildren: Ashley Johnsen, Jesse Johnsen, and Eric Johnsen of Waupun, WI; Mohammed Sageir of Massachusetts; Justin Killam of Massachusetts; Michael Breault of Saint Croix Falls, WI; ten great-grandchildren: Keegan, Layla, Alivia, Michael, Conor, Conner, Rylan, Madelyn, Oakley, Evander; and two special nieces: Melissa and Kelly Craft. She is also survived by her sisters: Louise Green of Watertown, SD; Susan (Bob) Capp of Milbank, SD; and Rose Kantola of Green Bay, WI; and sister-in-law, Sharon Johnson.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Dawn Johnsen; her step-granddaughter, Alora Breault; her parents: Ella and Edward Johnson; her sister, Ruth (Johnson) Traphagen; and her brothers: Arlo Johnson and George Johnson; brothers-in-law: Carl Kantola and Roger Green.

Mary’s family suggest memorials be given to Lutheran Social Services.

*** Our Mission is to deliver the highest quality shared video experience for visitors to our website. However, there may be instances when network issues arise, causing the livestream to be unavailable. In such cases, we are promptly alerted and work to resolve the problem. If we are unable to restore the livestream, a recorded version of the service will be made available for viewing at any time on our website.