Donald Bondo Pedersen
Donald Bondo Pedersen, 84, of Pea Ridge, died on July 17, 2022. He was born on March 5, 1938, in Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn., and was adopted at age 9 months by the Rev. Laurits H. Pedersen and Ellen (Bondo) Pedersen, then of Harlan, Iowa.
The Rev. Pederson served overseas in World War II and Ellen and Don lived in various places during his absence — including Farmington, Duluth and Northfield, Minn. After the war, the family moved to Fort Meade, S.D., near Sturgis and in 1951 to Waukesha, Wisc. Don was educated in the public schools of Duluth, Northfield, Sturgis and Waukesha where he graduated from high school in 1956.
He received a bachelors of arts degree from St. Olaf College in 1960 and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1963. On May 4, 1963, he married Audrey Ramona Johnson originally of Watertown, S.D. Don worked eight summers for the U.S. Forest Service on the Kaniksu National Forest in Idaho fighting fires and dealing with blister rust control. Audrey joined him for the last two summers.
After a year at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln where oldest son, Ted, was born, Don and Audrey moved to Wheaton, Minn., where Don practiced law in the firm of Winter, Lundquist, Sherwood and Pedersen. In 1969, he joined the faculty of William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and the family lived in Apple Valley. In 1973, he was appointed to the faculty of Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, teaching one summer at the University of Detroit.
In June, 1983, the family, including six children and three dogs, moved to Fayetteville, where Don became professor of Law and director of the Graduate Agricultural Law Program at the University of Arkansas. He served as president of the American Agricultural Law Association and was the coauthor of several books and published many articles — with an emphasis on agricultural law issues. In 1989, he received from the Arkansas Alumni Association Distinguished Award for Teaching, Research and Service.
In 1998, Don took an early retirement and Audrey and Don moved to Pea Ridge where they became active in church music, family history projects and care of their property. Don was an avid amateur pianist. Don had a great interest in classical music and studied piano extensively with several highly professional teachers. He performed and accompanied throughout his life including piano concertos by Greig, Liszt and Mozart.
He was an active member of Brightwater Memorial United Methodist Church for many years.
He was preceded in death by Audrey; daughter, Holly; and grandson, Dillon Jones.
Survivors are his son, Ted Pedersen (Ayda) of Duluth, Minn.; daughters, Barbara Harmon of Fayetteville, Paula Pedersen (Greg Miller) of Diamond, Mo., and Donna Davis (Jason) of Fayetteville; son, Roger Pedersen of Lowell; nine grandchildren, Gillian, Oden, Alyssa, Spenser, Jessica, Erin, Austin, McCall and Nina; and seven greatgrandchildren, Hailey, Noah, Mason, Emily, Audrey Wren, Jett and Audrey Rose.
A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, in Brightwater Memorial United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Brightwater UMC, the Donald B. Pedersen Scholarship at the University of Arkansas Law School, or Oaks Indian Mission P.O. Box 130, Oaks, Okla. 73359.
Online condolences may be made at siscofuneralhome.net.