Area residents gathered to show support for longtime Ivanhoe resident Wendy Peterson on Saturday. Peterson was diagnosed with cancer last year, and has been undergoing treatment.

IVANHOE — Wendy Peterson’s family members say she’s always been a hard worker. Over more than 25 years as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Peterson cared for the elderly in communities from Ivanhoe to Tyler and Marshall.

Last year, Peterson was diagnosed with cancer, and she’s gone from being a caregiver to receiving care. But at a benefit event Saturday, Peterson said it was “pretty touching” to see people coming together to show their support.

“I’m surprised there’s been so many people,” Peterson said Saturday afternoon. “I’ve seen a lot of people that I haven’t seen before.”

Peterson has been a longtime Ivanhoe community member, and a CNA in the area. Most recently, Peterson said, she worked at Morningside Heights in Marshall. “It was a good place to be,” she said. Peterson’s work kept her busy, but she said she loved getting to know the people she cared for.

Then, last year, “I could tell something was different with me,” Peterson said. “My mind was mixed up sometimes,” she said, and she was experiencing some other physical symptoms too. Peterson said she brought her concerns to her doctor, and was later diagnosed with cancer in her chest and brain. Peterson was then admitted to a hospital in Sioux Falls to undergo tests to determine the stage and severity of her cancer.

The test results showed that Peterson had small cell carcinoma that had spread to her brain. Since then, she has undergone radiation and other treatment for the disease.

Peterson said being diagnosed with cancer was a shock. The changes it brought to her life weren’t easy. She’s not able to work, and now she’s focused on taking care of herself.

Peterson said her children and friends have been there for her. “They come over, and stuff like that.” And, she said, “I have people at the hospital that help me.”

“We’ve all been coming together, and doing what we can for Mom,” said Wendy’s daughter Kelsey Hammerschmidt. She said family members like to get together for meals, or just to spend time together.

Peterson said the treatments she was undergoing weren’t going to completely take the cancer away. But, she said, “I do what I can, and when it comes to the end, it comes to the end.”

There was a steady stream of people coming and going at the benefit event for Wendy held Saturday at the Ivanhoe VFW. Wendy’s family and local community members had organized a lunch, a silent auction and a bake sale. Denise Glidden, an Ivanhoe resident, said neighbors helping each other out was part of life in a small town.

Wendy and her family members said they were surprised and grateful to see the response to the benefit.

“She’s taken care of everyone’s families for 25-plus years,” said Jordan Stynski. Now, other people were reaching out to help Wendy, he said.