Roger D. Peterson

Roger D. Peterson, 82, of Geneseo, IL, died on Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Visitation will be held from 1-2 pm, on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at First Lutheran Church of Geneseo. Memorial service will be held directly following the visitation at 2:00 pm. Reverend Matt Kamprath will officiate. Private inurnment will take place at Calvary Lutheran Cemetery in New Windsor at a later date. Memorials can be made in Roger's name to First Lutheran Church or Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Vandemore Funeral Homes and Crematory-Geneseo Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.

Roger was born on December 25, 1937, to Virgil and Bernice (Larson) Peterson, in rural Mercer County, IL. After high school graduation, Roger attended Western Illinois University, and graduated with a bachelors degree in education and biology. He married Dianne Carson on September 5, 1959. He was a teacher and principal in New Boston, IL and Arlington Heights, IL. After teaching he worked for John Deere, becoming an executive in Complete Goods. He retired after 26 years in 1992.

In his retirement years, he worked for more than 20 years at Chicago Street Decorating, in Geneseo, where he greeted and helped so many of the Quad City community. He was a devoted member of the Lutheran Church, both in New Windsor and Geneseo, IL. He served on numerous councils and boards and as a Sunday school teacher. Hobby-wise, he loved wood-working, golf, primitive antiques and collecting, and exploring - through travel, new experiences, reading, volunteering, or (his favorite) food and wine.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dianne; daughters, Angie (Adrian) Graber and Michelle (Lisa Finch) Woods; sons, Garth (Beth) Peterson and Erik Peterson; grandchildren, Chastity (Rick) Sletten, Käjsa (Vern) Wilson, Travis Graber, Nick (Kiley) Graber, and Avery Finch; and three great-grandchildren.

He was a whip-smart, witty, wise, and wonderful man and will be missed by so many.

He is preceded in death by his parents and son, Gregory.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff of Compassus Hospice Care and very special loving thanks to the Ray and Jean Swanson family for the humor, joy, care, and love that they shared with Roger for nearly 60 years.