Vaughan was born to Mercedes “Peggy” and Ervine Pederson in Brookings, S.D. on March 11, 1955. He went to be with his Lord and Savior October 3, 2018. Vaughan spent his childhood and youth in Brookings and attended South Dakota State University, majoring in trumpet performance and music education. During his college years, he spent summers working in the Black Hills as a tour guide for the Crazy Horse monument. In 1978 he came to Houston to visit a friend and performed for the First Baptist Church revival services. Pastor John Bisagno, of Houston’s First Baptist Church, immediately recognized Vaughan’s versatile musical ability and hired him to be the first full-time church orchestra director in the country. Vaughan served at Houston’s First Baptist Church for seven years. He loved performing for the annual Christmas pageant, and he loved the orchestra.
Vaughan met Alisa Gardner at church in 1982. They fell in love and were married in 1984. He started the “Vaughan Pederson Band” and the two of them performed many times together for wedding receptions and private parties. Vaughan had a tender heart for the many “fur babies” in his lifetime, and loved them all unconditionally. Together, Vaughan and Alisa enjoyed ski trips, trips to Mexico, and traveling oversees. But, his favorite destination was always to return home to South Dakota to visit his mother, brother and sister. For many years, Vaughan and Alisa attended Second Baptist Church and were active in Sunday School leadership. Vaughan was always willing to jump in and help whenever and however needed.
Vaughan is survived by his wife, Alisa, mother Peggy Freyberg, sister Paula Terveen, Paula’s two daughters, Lindsay and Heather and their husbands and children, brother Shawn Pederson, and precious goddaughter McKenna Petersen.
A memorial service will take place Sunday Nov. 4, 2018 in Sioux Falls South Dakota at First Baptist Church.
