Curtis L Peterson

Curtis L. Peterson, age 88, Clark, formerly of the Naples community, died on Saturday evening, May 14, 2011 in the Golden Living Center at Clark. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 10:30 AM in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Vienna with The Reverend Dave Larson and Vicar Jonathan Boynton officiating. Music will be presented by Dorothy Fuller as organist and Kristen Vandersnick as soloist singing "On Eagles Wings" and "Here I Am Lord". The congregation will sing "Children of the Heavenly Father" and "Amazing Grace". Serving as casketbearers will be Kyle, Jody and Doug Peterson and Shawna and Jory Maynard. Burial will follow in the Naples Cemetery near Naples. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and after 9 AM at the Church on Thursday morning. Curtis was born on January 9, 1923 on the farm he raised his family, the youngest child of Clarence and Elenora (Snare) Peterson. He attended the Foxton Township country school also known as the Peterson School and then attended Naples High School and then graduated from Hazel High School in 1941. He attended SDSU at Brookings for aviation mechanics and then returned home to the farm. He married Ramona Davis on May 29, 1949 in the Naples Lutheran Church where he had been baptized and confirmed. They moved into the farm house with his parents on the Peterson homestead, west of Naples. In the mid 1950's, his parents moved to Naples and Curtis and Ramona remained on the farm until moving into the Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living Center at Clark in June of 2006. After his wife's death in 2009, Curtis continued living in the assisted living center until becoming a resident of the Golden Living Center at Clark in January of 2011. He was a longtime member of the Naples Lutheran Church serving on the council in varying positions over the years. He was the sexton of the Naples Cemetery for many years, served on the Soil Conservation Board, was a member of the Clark County Crop Improvement for over 60 years and was a member of Sons of Norway. He opened his home to an exchange student from New Zealand and a farm exchange student from Israel and to many relatives and friends over the years. Farming was a way of life that he loved, raising his family on the farm homesteaded by his grandfather. He truly cared for the land and livestock and was so proud of the 7 generations that have called this farm, "home". Preceding him in death were his parents, wife Ramona, a son, Ronald and a sister Adeline (Marvin) Rasmussen. Grateful for having shared in his life is his son, Duane (Char) Peterson of Vienna, three grandchildren, Shawna (Jory) Maynard, Kyle (Jody) Peterson and Doug Peterson, 7 great-grandchildren, Katlyn, Jordyn, and Jarrett Maynard, Trinity, Grace, Emma and Andrew Peterson. He also leaves an exchange son, Bob (Lou) Inder of New Zealand. Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com