Sever Myron Pederson

Sever Myron Pederson, born in Clear Lake, Iowa and long-time resident of Westland, age 88, passed into the Lord's presence on February 11, 2024.
Beloved husband of Vonnie for 66 years.  Loving father of Dan (Anna Marie), Dave (Debbie) Pederson and Anne (Ron) VonGunten.  Dear grandfather of Hilary (Jeff), Katie, Jonathan (Olivia), Emmanuel, Luke, Josiah, Mikaela (Daniel), Andrew (Madi), Nathanael and Ben (Taylor).  Brother of LaVonne (Duane) Kraft, Bert (Becky) Pederson. Uncle to many nieces and nephews, brother-in-law to Jenny (Tim) Copeland, and Arlyn (Janice) Abrams.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Mildred and Sever Pederson, two brothers Stanley(Phyllis) and Robert (Emelia), and brother-in-law Spence Jr. (Janis) Abrams.

Sever was a lover of Jesus, family and friends.  He loved his bride and each time the Lord would extend her health after a crisis, he renewed his commitment to care for her, and he did.  He would marvel at his grandchildren’s accomplishments, always attentive and proud and daily prayed for each one.  He was a numbers man and kept records of all types including the growth of plants, financial expenditures, and all manner of stats about his grandchildren.  He could recite birthdays as easy as walking or breathing and had memorized more than 200 names and dates including his postal carrier’s, many servers from local restaurants, all his nieces and nephews, and grandchildren.

Sever grew up on a farm near Fertile, Iowa which gave him a green thumb for growing plants and his spirit of determination.  His love for nature was evident in his poetry. For several years he faithfully wrote a Haiku poem every day.  There are entire books that he compiled in his mid-eighties.  He kept his mind active with writing and numbers; he kept his body busy with gardening.

Sever’s sense of humor served him well as a youth director, photographer, showman, salesman, story teller, and in his final months as a patient.  He had a strong faith that was tested as all his freedoms slowly diminished during his illness.  Many have known of his love for Jesus.  However, in his illness, we watched him move into a deeper realization of how much his Savior loved him.  When he left, he was at peace.  It is no surprise that one of his favorite hymns was “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

His family was incredibly blessed to be on the receiving end of his love and faith.

A visitation will be held at the R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home, 31551 Ford Rd., Garden City, Saturday, February 17, 2024 from 9:30 AM until his Funeral Service at 11:00 AM.
Memorial contributions may be directed to AAA Pregnancy Resource Center, 32080 Schoolcraft Rd., Livonia, MI 48150. https://friendsofaaaprc.com/

Please share a memory of Sever by signing his Guestbook.