Lawrence "Larry" Peterson

Lawrence “Larry” Peterson, age 94, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at Riverview Manor in Flandreau.  Funeral Services will be at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown. Pastor Steve Biswell will officiate.

Visitation will be at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Saturday from 3-4 p.m.

Lawrence was born on September 16, 1929, in Waverly, SD, to Severt Bjerke Peterson and Minnie (Skow Nelson) Peterson. When Larry was ten years old moved to Long Beach California. Larry joined the Air Force in 1948. Larry was assigned to teaching the teletype at that time the phones, and radios were the only sources of communication available.  On September 7, 1953, Lawrence took on Honorable Discharge from the Air Force. He then went to work in Long Beach, Ca at Douglas Aircraft who built aircrafts for the Navy and many others.  Larry decided to take advantage of the GI bill and attended Long Beach City College. After graduation he went to work at General Telephone in Santa Monica in the Engineering Department, where he met Barbara.

On November 28, 1959, Larry married Barbara Elliott in Santa Monica. In 1966 the couple decided to leave California and move to South Dakota. They moved into the old school house (once attended by all the Peterson kids) which had been converted into a two bedroom home.  They found out that the farm across the road was for sale.  Larry asked Barb if she thought she could become a farm wife. They purchased the farm and raised milk cows until 1976 when there was a drought and they were force to sell the milk cows.  They then purchased pigs and raised pigs until they sold the farm and moved to Watertown in 1980. Larry went to work at the Post Office until he retired in 1991.

Larry is survived by his wife, Barbara, of Watertown; one daughter, Pamela (Anthony Todd) Williams, of Kearney, NE; one son Randy Peterson, of Watertown, SD; two grandchildren, Nikki (Steve) Erickson and Joe Williams.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents Severt and Minnie Peterson; three brothers, Roy(Barb) Peterson, Selmar (Betty) Peterson, and Grover (Joyce) Peterson; three sisters, Sibyl (Ed) Kingsley, Gretchen (Bill) Robb, and Joy (Bill) Wilson; one sister-in-law,  Joan Arnold; one brother- in-law, Richard (Dick) Arnold.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown, Hayti, De Smet, Bryant

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