Carmen Petersen

Carmen Petersen 8/11/1945 – 6/24/2023

Carmen Kay Petersen was born August 11, 1945, in Sheridan County, Gordon, Nebraska, she passed away on June 24, 2023, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Carmen was raised on the family cattle ranch south of town deep in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Carmen and her twin sister Carol May grew up working and playing hard. The girls both sang while their daddy Andy played fiddle and momma Bernice played the piano. Carmen worked summers on the Modisett ranch, cooking and cleaning for the farm hands, baking ten loaves of bread a day. Carmen worked at the Gordon Hospital during high school, this may have been where her dream to become a nurse first began. She always wanted to live in the big city, and she spent her entire adult life living in Denver, Colorado. Carmen graduated from nursing school at St. Anthony in 1964. She worked there for twelve years. Carmen always worked extra hours nursing and worked side jobs, too. Carmen was the first female shoeshine girl in Colorado, working at Sir Richard’s Salon in Englewood, Colorado, for tips. She also worked as a waitress, sometimes until 2 am, while her nursing shift was from 7 am until 3 pm. Carmen later pursued additional training to become a GI specialist, and she ran a GI lab for many years.

In 1922, Carmen experienced a bad car accident which resulted in her early retirement. After a valiant comeback from a TBI because of this accident, Carmen continued with her passion for entertainment and performed as a singing clown, Carmella Cream Singing Sequella, for many years for birthday parties, parades, and various other events. Despite numerous bouts of cancer, Carmen gave of herself by sharing her gift for singing at many churches, and different musical groups around the Denver Metro area. So many people have been blessed by her big voice and big heart.

Carmen is preceded in death by her twin sister, Carol M. Brakeman, her parents Andrew Peter Petersen and Bernice Lea Hare Petersen and her nephew, Marian Erik Brakeman. Carmen is survived by her niece Traci (David) Jones, niece-in-law Audrey Brakeman, aunt Edna Buysee, many cousins and many great nieces and nephews. Also, her beloved friends, her churches, musical groups, and Wheat Ridge networks, including the Wheat Ridge Historical Society, Active Adults Center, the Old Country Church and the Berkeley United Methodist Church.

The family wishes to express gratitude for the care provided by St. Anthony Hospital, Sandalwood Rehabilitation Center, and Compassus Hospice. In lieu of flowers, we request that people make a donation to a charity of your choice, especially ones that aid animals or the homeless.