Donald Joseph Peterson, age 84, of Wyoming, MN died August 30, 2014 at St. Therese Care Center in New Hope. A Celebration of Life for Donald will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, SEPTEMBER 13th at Strike Funeral Home – Cambridge Chapel. A time for visiting will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Cambridge Union Cemetery.
To us…his family, he was known as Dad, Papa, Poppie and Peterson. To others he was Don, Pete and even “the Donald.” The reason he had so many names is because he was loved and respected by so many people. Love was a given – he was easy to love. He made you feel special. When he was with you – he was really with you. Asking questions about your day – about your life – and he remembered your answers. Sometimes as a simple conversation and sometimes to keep you on track. Respect was also important to him – he earned it and he gave it.
He was a husband to one wife, a father to three girls, a grandfather to eight grandchildren and a great-grandfather to three – all adored by him. He was a father-in-law to three men… his favorite being the one that was helping him at the time. Sometimes confusing when they were all together. As our family grew to include grandson-in-laws and a granddaughter in-law – Papa had special relationships with each of them. He was a son to parents he admired. He was a good brother to his siblings. Being a fun-loving family was most important to him. His last request to his girls? “Stay together and be close.”
He loved people- not only his dear friends – many with relationships that lasted over 60 years – but also to the waitress that brought him his morning biscuits and gravy to the nurses that cared for him on his last days. He was truly amazing.
Papa’s loves went beyond people to the things he enjoyed doing. One of them being traveling. There is a quote – “the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” – he traveled the highways and back roads of the US so much that his atlas was tattered and often replaced because of the hours he spent flipping through the pages. Not because he was lost – he was an original GPS – because he enjoyed looking to see if the map was correct while planning his next road-trip.
Not many people work at one place for most of their life. Donald did. He worked at Consolidated Freightways – wearing several hats over his 35 year career with driving the big rigs as his favorite.
He retired at an early age – 59 years young – and hit the road again with his wife, Jeri. Their winter trips often included his brother, Gordon and sister-in-law, Lorna with plans to travel down south or out west. During the summer months, he was organizing get-aways with the family to campgrounds and lakes in the Midwest to the West Coast and Canada. His campers began as a modest model atop a pick-up truck to the 36′ Pace Arrow that became his home. After retiring, he vowed to never spend another winter in Minnesota – he kept that promise.
He made his final trip on August 30, 2014 to be with The Lord. We are comforted knowing he is at peace and is dancing once again with Mom.
It is our hope that the celebration of his life will bring forth memories of the time you spent with him. We invite you to share your stories with us.
Born in Grandy, Minnesota to Joseph and Esther Peterson.
Raised and educated in Grandy and Cambridge.
Married Geraldine Opal Johnson on October 21, 1950, Mora, Minnesota.
Survived by three daughters, Sandra Jaeger (Paul,) Cheryl Meinhardt (Ron,) and Dawn Kleinknecht (Keith;) eight grandchildren and their spouses, Raegan, Shelbee, Kendra, Victoria, Katherine (Matt,) Joseph (Brenda,) Adam and Nicole (Wade;) three great-grandchildren, Myla, Tyler and Luca; brother, Warren (Roseann) Peterson of Encinitas, California; sister, Lois (Wallace) Bismarck of Cambridge; sister-in-law, Lois Peterson of Roseville and by nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
Preceded in death by parents, Joe and Esther Peterson; wife, Geraldine; brothers, Kenneth and Gordon; sister, Betty and sister-in-law, Lorna.
We would like to invite you to join us for a Life Celebration on Saturday, September 13, 2014, 11am at Strike Funeral Home – Cambridge Chapel, Cambridge, MN. A time for visiting will be held one hour prior to the service. A reception will follow at the funeral home. Burial will be at Cambridge Union Cemetery.
JeffBraastad says
Sorry for your loss, Don was a good guy. He will be missed by many friends.
Alice Knight says
Don was a kind, loving man who cared about others and he will be missed greatly by many. My very sincere condolences to his family whom I have never met, but I know that each and every one of you meant the world to him. God bless you all.