Louis A. Peterson 1909-2001

PETERSON GOLDSMITH VANSYOC

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 7/6/2011 at 17:18:18

Sioux City Journal
29 June 2001

LAWTON, Iowa - Louis A. Peterson, 92, of Lawton died Wednesday, June 27, 2001, at Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Community Presbyterian Church in Lawton, with the Rev. Wayne Peach officiating. Burial will be in Banner Township Cemetery. Visitation will be 3 to 8:30 p.m. today, with the family present 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Christy-Smith Morningside Chapel.

Mr. Peterson was born March 5, 1909, in Lawton, the son of G. Herman and Mary Helen (Goldsmith) Peterson. He was a long time Lawton resident. He began farming in 1933.

He married Bessie G. "Jerry" VanSyoc on June 11, 1933, in rural Milo, Iowa. She died Sept. 28, 1973, in Lawton. He then married Loretta Kounkel on June 2, 1975, in rural Hinton, Iowa. She died Dec. 16, 1997, in Sioux City.

He was a member of Community Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder and on various boards, the Farm Bureau, Lawton Flying Club, Lawton Community Club and Woodbury County Fair board, where he served as the head of the agricultural department.

He served as township director, county treasurer, county president. He was appointed to the County Farm and Home Administration board and County Compensation board. He served on the County Extension board, Lawton School board, where he was a former president, on several Condemnation Committees for Iowa Public Service and Appraisal Committees of Farms to settle estates, County Board of Adjustment for County Zoning and Woodbury County Community Action board. He established the rural Woodbury County Library and served on the County Library board of trustees.

In 1960, he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives and served five terms. In 1989, he was recognized by the governor for his years of service and was inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame.

Survivors include a son and his wife, Dale and Connie of Lawton; two daughters, Karen and her husband, Ernest Thomsen, of Cumberland, Iowa, and Joyce Peterson of Kearney, Neb.; a brother and his wife, Clifford and Eileen of Sioux City; a sister, Helen Vermilyea of Sioux City; eight grandchildren, Pam Drummond, Patrice and Jeff Thomsen, Angela Christen, Todd, Rhett and Chase Peterson and Tana Gard; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two sisters, Mildred Holmes and Emma Peterson; and two brothers, Arthur and Albert.

Pallbearers will be Jeff Thomsen, Todd, Rhett and Chase Peterson, John Drummond, John Christen and Adam Gard.