Louisa E. Peak 1905-1981

PEAK, HALL, HAERLEN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 1/22/2012 at 22:18:06

Louisa E. Peak, 76, of 2912 Dalewood Ave. SE, died Thursday [February 26, 1981] at a Cedar Rapids hospital following a long illness.

A teacher in Cedar Rapids for 24 years, she was born Jan. 23, 1905, in Emmet County. She received her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State Teachers College and her master’s degree from Columbia University. Her teaching career began in a one-room school in Jack Creek Township in Emmet County. She then taught elementary grades in Lakeville and Tama before joining the Cedar Rapids system in 1945. She taught 10 years at Tyler and then at Erskine before retiring in 1970 after a total of 43 years of teaching.

She served on many boards and commissions. She was an elder and stated clerk of Westminster Presbyterian Church and a member of St. Luke’s auxiliary, national, state and Cedar Rapids education associations, Delta Kappa Gamma Family Service Board, Retired Teacher’s Association and Republican Women.

She received a National Education Association award for significant contributions to education. The Louisa E. Peak Education Scholarship for Junior Volunteers at St. Luke’s was named in her honor and she received a 10,000-hour volunteer award from St. Luke’s Hospital, and a Women’s Equality Award for service to Linn County Community. She also was a longtime member of Cedar Rapids branch of the American Association of University Women. She was active in working with the legislature for better pensions for retired teachers and improved support for education.

Survivors include two sister, Maggie Hall of Estherville and Elizabeth Haerlen of Elma, Wash.; and one brother, Philip Peak of Bloomington, Ind.

Services: 1 p.m. Saturday at Westminster Presbyterian church by the Rev. John P. Woods and the Rev. Claude Jones. Burial East Lawn [Side] Cemetery, Estherville. Friends may call at Turner Chapel East after 5 p.m. today and at the church after 11 a.m. Saturday. Friends may make memorial contributions to the Louisa E. Peak Education Scholarship Fund at St. Luke’s Hospital, 1026 A Ave. NE, the Louisa E. Peak Youth Scholarship Fund at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1285 Third Ave. SE, or to the charity of their choice. (Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA, February 27, 1981)