Earl Gene Peterson

Earl Gene Peterson, age 79 of Manhattan, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at the St. Francis Health Center in Topeka. He was born on October 9, 1935 on a farm near Lake Lillian, Minnesota, the son of George and Myrtle (Lalim) Peterson. They moved to a farm near Paynesville, Minnesota in 1945 and he graduated from Paynesville High School in 1954. On July 1, 1962 at the Leonardville EUB Church, he was married to Sharrie Johnson. She survives of the home. He worked at the St. Mary Hospital as a housekeeping supervisor and floor technician and also as a custodian at the Riley County Grade School, prior to retiring. He also served for eight years in the National Guard. Earl was a member of the Keats United Methodist Church where he had been the custodian and Trustee. He and Sharrie volunteered at the Flint Hills Breadbasket. He enjoyed working in his garden, tending to their yard, canning salsa and pickled okra and feeding the birds. He liked to cook, bake brownies and pumpkin bread. Every year around Thanksgiving he would bake pumpkin bread to share with all the students at Prairie Heights Elementary School in Dwight. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two children, Cindy Zimmerman and Kirby of Alta Vista and Lonnie Peterson and Dina of Manhattan; two brothers, Orlyn Peterson and Mary of Topeka and Leon Peterson and Jan of Paynesville, Minnesota; a sister in law, Edna Peterson of Manhattan; four grandchildren, Jessica (Zimmerman) Wyrill and Jake of Kirwin, Ryan Schumacher and fiance Tina Cabrera of Denton, Texas, Lisa (Herlitz) Bender and Lee of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and Mary (Herlitz) Lundberg and Aron of Manhattan; three great grandchildren, Reese and Ella Bender and Violet Lundberg and he was anticipating the addition of two more great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Kermit Peterson and a granddaughter, Lexi Joy Zimmerman. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, May 2, 2015 at the Keats United Methodist Church with Rev. Bill Eisele officiating. Respect calls may be made anytime Friday at the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home in Riley, where the family will receive friends from 7 until 8:00 P.M. Friday. Burial will be in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. A memorial has been established for the Keats Fellowship Hall Fund. Contributions may be left in care of the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home in Riley.