Obit: Peterson, John M. #2 (1899 - 1964)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Peterson, Larson, Liepert, Harder, Coyier, Musil, Bulgrin, Mills, Schorr, Bichler, Erickson, Yenni, Rosekrans, Andreson, Campman, Wall, Scott, Lee, Olson, Brakke, Ewert, Firnstahl, Flink, Johnson, Braatz,  Guell, Balcer, Nelson, Grimes, Weddig, Madsen, Wollum, Cattanach, Hlern, Bergstrom, Beck, Gaffney, Puscheck, Hardrath, Koehler, Hoagland

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) October 22, 1964

Peterson, John M. (2 November 1899 - 17 October 1964)

John M. Peterson of Neillsville, Wisconsin, passed away Saturday evening, October 17, 1964, after a lingering illness. 

He was born at Colby, Wisconsin to N. P. Peterson and Marthea (Larson) Peterson, November 2, 1899.  N. P. Peterson was one of the earliest pioneers at Colby, coming there prior to the time the railroad went through there about 1871.

John was graduated from Colby grade and high school, and thereafter served in World War I.  He attended Lawrence College at Appleton.

He was married to Harriet Liepert, Unity, Wis., in 1919.  For approximately seven years, he had a mail route as a rural carrier out of Colby, during which time he took several courses with the university extension division.

He then attended law school, University of Wisconsin, and received his law degree in 1930.  His first four years of law practice were at Owen, Wis.  He was regional claim examiner with headquarters at Wisconsin Rapids in 1933-34.  For several years he was a member of the county board and was first chairman of the mediation board during the depression years.

In 1935 he and his family moved to Neillsville, when he was elected for a second term, and continued practicing law in Neillsville until his illness.

He was keenly interested in community affairs and volunteered as the first veteran service officer for Clark County, which position he held for several years.  Upon the reorganization and building of the new memorial Hospital, he was elected a member of the board of directors and served as secretary for 10 years.  He was home service chairman of the Red Cross chapter for over 20 years, and was a member of the board of trustees of the Clark County Hospital at Owen, Wisconsin, for the past several years.

Skiing was one of his favorite sports.  He was one of the first promoters of Bruce Mound ski area; and served as the first secretary of Half Moon Ski Club.

He was a member of the local and state bar association, Masonic Lodge in Neillsville, Consistory in Eau Claire, Danish Brotherhood, Withee, American Legion, Neillsville, and First Unitarian Church in Madison, Wisconsin.

Survivors are his wife, Harriet, two daughters, Mrs. Hans (Donna Rae) Harder, Neillsville, and Mrs. Duane (Shirley) Coyier, Hood River, Ore., and eight grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were made by the Georgas Funeral Home. Services were held at 1:30 P.M. Wednesday from the Masonic Temple. The Rev. R. S. Hoagland, of the Unitarian Church of Madison, officiated.  Burial was made in Memorial Cemetery at Colby with military rites.

Note - The above obituary was dictated by Mr. Peterson some time before his death.  Only the first line and last paragraph are added with the present information of his death and the services.

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) October 29, 1964

Funeral services were conducted October 21, for John M. Peterson, 64, who died October 17, in Neillsville. Services were held from the Neillsville Masonic Temple with the Rev. R. S. Hoagland of the First Unitarian Church at Madison, officiating.  Burial was made in Memorial Cemetery in Colby.

Pallbearers were: Jas. A. Musil, Lew Bulgrin, Calvin Mills, William Schorr, Anton H. Bichler and Alfred Erickson. Serving as honorary pallbearers were William H. Yenni, Dr. M. C. Rosekrans, Dr. M. K. Andreson and Wm. A. Campman.

"Love’s Old Sweet Song" was sung by Ellis Wall, Accompanied by Mrs. Jess W. Scott.

People from out of town attending were: Mrs. Duane Coyier of Hood River, Ore.; Mr. and Mrs. Lee Coyier and the Rev. R. S. Hoagland of Madison; Mr. and Mrs. Ollie Lee of Dexter, Minn.; Mr. and Mrs. Ray Olson of Austin, Minn.; Leander B. and K. Albert B rake of Fountain, Minn.; Mrs. Anna Ewert of Kalamazoo, Mich.; Mrs. Clara Firnstahl of Napa, Cal.; Min. Liepert of Chicago, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Ewert and Mrs. Alvina Flink of Marshfield; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Johnson of Unity; Mr. and Mrs. Hans Harder, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Harder of Greenwood.

From Thorp were Walter Braatz, Corwin C. Guell, Mr. and Mrs. John Balcer; Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Nelson and Mr. and Mrs. C. R. (ink blotch), Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Grimes, (ink blotch) Harvey Weddig, Pete Madsen, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wollum, Mrs. Nina Cattanach, Mrs. A. K. Hlern, Edward Bergstrom, C. E. Beck, John  M. Cattanach, Richard F. Gaffney, and Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Mills , all of Owen; Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Puscheck of Chili; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Hardrath of Loyal; and Alfred Erickson of Curtiss.

Masonic services wee conducted by Neillsville Lodge, No. 163, with the Rev. W. C. Koehler of the United Church of Christ in Neillsville in charge.  Military rites were conducted at the graveside by the Colby veterans.