Clarence Leonard PETERSON

PETERSON, MATSON, SHACKELFORD, NICKELL, FOLLMANN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/12/2008 at 13:24:01

Clarence Leonard Peterson, the son of Nels and Fredericka A. (Matson) Peterson, was born on February 24, 1913, on a farm four miles west of Goldfield in Humboldt County and educated in Country School Lake #7 and Goldfield High School. On January 30, 1933, Clarence married Naomi Shackelford in Humboldt, Iowa. They had three children. For ten years during and following the Depression, he was a trucker. He moved people, corn, freight, coal, cobs, cattle and other livestock. For a period of time he hauled dry batch for paving Highway 3 between Goldfield and Humboldt. He was the “Pit” boss working with WPA workers that were filling in a ravine in the Goldfield Park. While they lived in Goldfield, Clarence was a volunteer with the Fire Department. Clarence and Naomi moved to Eagle Grove in 1942 and he drove an oil tank wagon for DX before going into the Navy in October of 1943. He served with the 101st Seabee Battalion in Fort Hueneme, California, and from there went to Honolulu, Hawaii, Eniwetok Atoll, to Saipan, and to Okinawa before returning home at the end of World War II. He was honorably discharged from service on Thanksgiving Day in Minneapolis, MN in 1945. From 1945 to 1947 he was employed by the Boone Valley Soybean Processing Plant in Eagle Grove, Iowa. In March of 1947 they moved to the family farm west of Goldfield and farmed for 24 years. While living on the farm he served as a director on the Farmers’ Cooperative Light Company, and also served as Director for the Goldfield W & H Oil Company. He was a member of the American Legion. In 1972 he left the farm and the family moved to Eagle Grove (lived at 524 North Cadwell). He again worked at the Boone Valley Bean Processing Plant until he retired. Following a stroke on September 23, 2007, he was hospitalized and from there he entered CareAge Center in Clarion, Iowa. Clarence and Naomi became members of the United Presbyterian Church in Goldfield in 1956. Clarence served as a Trustee, and then as an Elder of the Church.

Clarence passed away on Sunday, September 7, 2008, at CareAge of Clarion, at the age of 95 years. He was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, two sisters, and Naomi, his wife of 70 years. He is survived by two daughters, Janice (Lewis) Nickell, and Dorthy (Leonard) Follmann; one son, Richard (Judith) Peterson, 12 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, 2 step great grandchildren, and 12 great great grandchildren.

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