Dean A. Petska

Dean Allen Petska passed away at home on his deck with his wife Betty by his side on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Dean was born on September 21, 1950, the first of four children to Myron and Dorothy (Maixner) Pecka of Lawton ND.  He started helping on the farm at an early age.  He attended Sauter School for 1^st grade and then Shepard School through 8^th grade.  He graduated from Edmore High School in 1968. 

Dean started playing drums with the Bennie Pesek Band full time the spring of 1967 and then the Myron Pecka Band. In later years with the Pecka Band and the Matt Hodek Band. 

Dean attended UND for two years.  He married his high school sweetheart Betty Setnes of Adams ND on August 16, 1969.  He joined the North Dakota Army National Guard and went for Basic Training and AIT School (Cooking school) at Fort Ord, California in February 1970.  He served with the National Guard for six years. 

Dean started working for Public Finance in November of 1970.  He became Branch Manager in Minot ND in August 1974 and then in October 1975 Branch Manager in Grand Forks ND.  In April of 1976 he became a loan officer at Western State Bank, Devils Lake.  While at Western, Dean graduated from Colorado Graduate School of Banking at Boulder CO. (this was 2 weeks of school in the summers and correspondence courses).  He and Betty were the proud parents of two children Lindsey and Jeremy, in 1978 and 1980 respectively.  In January 1987, Dean went to work for First National Bank as a commercial loan officer and later First State Bank of Munich, retiring from banking in 2001.  He was the Ramsey County and Benson County Public Administrator from 2005 to 2012.  He continued to serve one client and settled some estates until December 2018.  For many, many years of his life he was a part-time piano tuner until February 2019. 

Dean was an active member of the Elks Lodge, Jaycees, Devils Lake Chamber of Commerce, serving as Chamber President from 1983-84, board member of Fort Totten Little Theater for 24 years, Senior Meals Board for many years and also a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church.  These are just a few of the many community activities and events Dean was a part of through the years.

Dean loved his Lord, his country, his community and his precious family with all his heart. “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Dean is survived by his wife Betty; children Lindsey (Dean) Gillespie of Park River ND and Jeremy (Kasey Hoesel) Petska of West Fargo ND; grandchildren Cheyenne, Clover, Cutter and Cody Gillespie, Charlie Rose and Kale Petska, Kaeden and Kinley Hoesel; sisters LaVonne Dyste, New Braunfels TX, Betty (Dennis) Lien, Spring Branch TX and Pam (Mark) Nygaard, West Fargo ND; in-laws Rodney (Janet) Setnes, Florence AZ, Dale Setnes, Devils Lake, Bill Van Treeck, Littleton CO, Keith Setnes, Hawaii and Donald Setnes, Jamestown ND; many nieces and nephews and special aunts and uncle Diane Maixner of Devils Lake and Laddie and Rose Pecka of Lawton ND; special friend Armen Hanson. 

He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.

Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake ND on Sunday, April 11, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.   Funeral Services will be held on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Olaf Lutheran Church with Reverend Jim Paulson officiating.