Clarence Petersen, Dora Hamlin, and children
Clarence Petersen was born Clarenz Friedrich George Petersen on May 19, 1904 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. When Clarence was a little over a year old his father, Hans, died in a drowning accident. By 1906 Clarence and his siblings had a stepfather, Thomas Mikkelsen, and one year later, a new half-sister, Florence. Thomas was an auto and street-car mechanic and seems to have inspired his stepchildren to get involved in the field. Clarence was no exception.
Clarence attended grammar school in Chicago near his home on East 36th Street and as a teenager worked as an assistant in a flower shop. He loved motorcycles and was known for roaring through the neighborhood on his favorite vehicle...sometimes scaring his younger cousins in the neighborhood.
Clarence married Dora Clara Hamlin, daughter of Fred and Augusta (Renner) Hamlin, in Chicago around 1927. Dora, descended from a distinguished line of Hamlins who were early settlers in Massachussetts, brought along two daughters from a previous marriage, Florence and Dolores. They were joined by two sons born to the couple, George (1928) and Fred Calvin, known as Pete (1931).
The family remained in Chicago for another decade while Clarence worked at the Petersen Garage, a business run with his brother George.
In the 1940s Clarence and Dora resettled in Arizona to accommodate his asthma. They eventually moved to Date City, California, a tiny truck stop east of El Centro, to run a motel, garage, and general store. They sold everything from gasoline to canned goods to western clothing, and were a friendly fixture on the highway for several decades.
Clarence died in 1962 and was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro. Dora married one more time to Kenneth Brooks and died in 1966. She's buried next to Clarence in El Centro. Their grandchildren have many fond memories and lively stories to cherish.
