William Peterson, 85

Mr. William J. Peterson, 85, of Richfield, Minnesota (formerly of Kalamazoo) passed away Thursday, August 16, in Edina, Minnesota. Mr. Peterson was born on August 15, 1927, in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, the son of Oscar Julius and Hilda Mae Hart Peterson. He lived in Sault Sainte Marie until entering the United States Army in 1945. After his discharge from the service he entered college, graduating from Western Michigan College with a BA in History in 1951. Five years later, he earned a Master’s Degree in counseling from Western Michigan University. In January, 1952, he accepted a teaching position at Three Rivers High School. There he met an English and math teacher, Ann Lautner Weber, whom he married on July 7, 1956. Their marriage would last for fifty years, until her death. Also in 1956, he began to teach at Kalamazoo Central High School. He would work there first as a history and government teacher, and later as a guidance counselor, until his retirement in 1989. He was an active member of the Parchment United Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday School teacher, an usher, a member of the Board of Ministries, and a member of the Board of Trustees. After retirement, he was a member of the community at Bronson Place, where he served as the librarian. In 2008, he moved to Minnesota to be nearer to his family, but he never stopped being a proud Michigander. Mr. Peterson was predeceased by his wife Ann, his parents, and his younger brother Terence. Survivors include daughters Kathe Marie Oliver of Portland, Oregon, and Wendy Ann Comeau of Minneapolis, Minnesota, sons-in-law Neal Oliver and Paul Comeau, and grandchildren Alexander Oliver, Laura Comeau, and Marian Comeau. Friends may visit with the family from 5-8 PM on Friday at Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Memorial Chapel, 622 S. Burdick Street. Private interment will be in Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the Parchment United Methodist Church, 225 Glendale Boulevard, Kalamazoo, MI 49004, or to the school or library of your choice.