Evelyn E. Peterson

Evelyn E. Peterson, 97, of Lafayette, died at Franciscan Health, St. Elizabeth Central in Lafayette on Friday, March 2, 2012. She had resided the past three years at St. Anthony's Healthcare.

Evelyn was born in Tippecanoe County near West Lafayette on Sept. 14, 1914, the daughter of the late John Peter "Pete" and Mary Magdalena "Lena" Schilling Brown. She attended Jefferson High School.

She married Francis Leo Peterson in Lafayette on Jan. 27, 1936 and he preceded her in death on Aug. 13, 1985. Evelyn and her husband resided on the Purdue Horticulture Farm from 1936 until 1977.

She was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church, and while her children were in school she had been active in the Klondike PTA.

Evelyn was a homemaker but had worked for Sears, Roebuck and Co. from 1958 until her retirement in 1977.

Surviving are three daughters, Teresa Sears and husband Robert of Stockwell, Thelma Jean Hatke and husband Richard of Rockville and Rosalyn Brown and husband John R. of LaPorte; two sons, James E. Peterson and wife Patricia of Lafayette and Philip R. Peterson and wife Lois of Greencastle; daughter-in-law Marcia Peterson of Lafayette; 16 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren and five stepgreat-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, Francis Paul Peterson; a grandson, Matthew F. Peterson; a stepgreat-great-grandson; two sisters, Ann Cavanaugh and Mary Kingama; and five brothers, Andrew, John, George, Frank and Charles.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Boniface Catholic Church, Lafayette, on Tuesday, March 6 with Father Tim Akire officiating. Burial followed in St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery, Lafayette.