Elaine Peterson

Elaine R. I. Peterson, age 92 of York, NE died Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at York. She was born October 23, 1918 in Platte County, NE to Alfred E. and Julia J. (Fredrickson) Olson. Elaine graduated from Newman Grove High School in 1936 and attended Nebraska Wesleyan College for two years, obtaining her teaching degree. She taught school for three years before becoming a homemaker and housekeeper. On December 25, 1942 she was married to Frank Edmund “Pete” Peterson at her parent’s home near Newman Grove, NE.

She was a member of the Bradshaw United Methodist Church for over 75 years, the United Methodist Women, and Church Women United. She was an active volunteer at Epworth Village, where she was twice honored as “Volunteer of the Year” and was monumental in collecting enough soup labels to enable them to purchase three vans. She was also on the Blue Valley Community Action Board. She will be remembered as a seamstress and a baker, especially for her chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, and runza’s. Elaine lived a full life of servitude, helping and doing for others.

She is survived by her three sons: Willard (Judy) Peterson of Bradshaw, NE, Gale (Christine) Peterson of Bloomingdale, Illinois, and Darrell (Marjorie) Peterson of Ainsworth, NE; eight grandchildren: Laura, Nessa, Shelby, Angela, Ashley, Mitchell, Jerika, and Kirsten; and two great-grandchildren: Karis and Blake. She is also survived by sister-in-law Dorothy Olson of Albion, NE, many nieces and nephews, special neighbors Dave and Lori Hamling and Darrel and Bonnalynne Henderson, and a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, six brothers Floyd, Harold, Alonzo “Kelly”, Ralph, Warren, and Clifford, five sisters-in-law, and two nephews.

Funeral services were held at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, September 18, 2011 at the Bradshaw United Methodist Church. Burial followed in Greenwood Cemetery, York. Memorials may be directed to the Bradshaw United Methodist Church or Epworth Village in York.