Donald Raphael Peterson

Don was born on December 24, 1919, in Estherville, Iowa, grew up in the Fairmont area, graduated from Shattuck Military Academy in 1939, then entered the U.S. Army Air Corps and graduated from the Stockton, CA Advanced Training. He was a pilot and flew 53 missions in the European theatre during World War II. Upon his return, in January, 1944, he proposed to his sweetheart of nine years, and they wed on March 11 in St. Petersburg, FL. Don and Martha returned to Minnesota, and in the fall of 1946 began their career with the purchase of the Truman Tribune. ""I couldn't have selected a more enjoyable and interesting career,"" Peterson said in 1996 when honored as a member of the Minnesota Newspaper Association Half Century Club. Through more than 50 years of his newspaper career, he worked in all facets of the business, writing news stories and editorials, selling commercial printing, and operating the job presses. ""It was fun all the way down the line."" He was instrumental in organizing a group of newspaper publishers who formed Central Publications Inc. at Sanborn. He also founded PrintCorp, a publishing company at Carlton. He served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Newspaper Association, was active in the Second District Editorial Association, and was a past president of the Brown County Editorial Association. Don was a patriot and a civic activist. His associations included VFW, American Legion, Martin County Selective Service Board, Kiwanis, Elks Club, Shattuck Alumni Board of Directors, and was Martin County Chairman and Second District Chairman for the Republican Party. He served as Board Chairman at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Truman and also was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmont. An avid golfer and an enthusiastic member, Don served on the Board of Directors and an endless promoter of the Fairmont Interlaken Golf Club. For the past 30 years, he and Martha wintered in the Palm Springs, CA area where they were members of Desert Horizons Country Club. He enjoyed playing tournaments such as the Bob Hope Desert Classic, the Walt Disney Classic in Orlando, and the NFL Alumni tournament in Las Vegas with his shared birthday buddy and former Washington Redskin, Dale Atkeson. Don is survived by his wife of 62 years, Martha; daughters, Marty and husband Sheldon Diller of La Jolla, CA; Donna Jo and husband Peter Hedstrom of Springfield; and granddaughter, Martha Margaret Almen Hedstrom of Minneapolis.