Lawrence Lee “Larry” Peterson, 74, died Sunday, June 17, 2018.
Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Holy Life Tabernacle Church in Brookings. Graveside services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Arlington City Cemetery. Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings.
Lawrence Lee Peterson was born May 19, 1944, to Lawrence W. and Glenna E. (Dornburg) Peterson in Pipestone, Minnesota. Larry grew up on a farm near Pipestone. He graduated from high school in Pipestone on June 2, 1962, and two days later joined the United States Air Force. He was in the military service for more than 20 years. He served overseas in Azores Portugal, Thailand, Vietnam, Germany, England, Italy, plus traveled to Iceland, Scotland, Denmark and Sardenia. During one of his state side tours, he was assigned at Griffiss AFB, Rome, New York, where he met and married his wife, Mary Ann Butkiewicz.
Upon retirement from the U.S. Air Force, Larry moved to Arlington and later Brookings. He attended Lake Area Technical School which led to him working in information technology at South Dakota State University. He retired in 2006. Larry not only served his country, but his fellow man by volunteering to work with the AARP doing income taxes for years. He also was part of a local ham radio club that trained to watch weather conditions and warn the public of impending storms, etc.
He is survived by his wife; his children, Arthur Bentley of Waldorf, Maryland, Nancy (Paul) Olson of Brookings, Maria (Scott) Jongbloed of Watertown and Marc LaQuay (Sheila) of Sioux Falls; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother Dennis Peterson of Brookings; a sister, Eileen Schlotman of Aurora, plus numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Lennis Ray Peterson Becker and a brother, Ronald Richard Peterson.
Condolences may be sent to the family through www.rudesfuneralhome.com.
