James “Jim” Peterson

Obituary

James Arthur Peterson was born on September 28, 1941, in Stillwater, Minnesota. He was the son of Arthur and Grace (Tate) Peterson. Jim graduated from Gaylord High School in 1959. On February 7, 1959, Jim was united in marriage to Karen Dianne Bauer at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winthrop. After their marriage, the couple resided in Mankato and St. Paul while Jim attended Mankato State University and then the University of Minnesota, earning his degree in Chemical Engineering. Jim worked for Economics Laboratory (Ecolab) before returning to Gaylord to run the family business, P & H Gas. Jim and Karen celebrated 65 years of marriage together before Karen passed away in April 2024. They were blessed with four children, Dawn, Lisa, Mark, and Eric.

Jim was a loving husband and father who believed in working hard and giving of his time and talents. He found a great sense of joy and pride being actively involved in his church, community, and family. He was a devout member of the United Church of Christ in Gaylord. He was a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts, both as a scout and a scoutmaster, and the Boy Scouts of America recognized his service by awarding him the Silver Beaver. Jim was also an enthusiastic member of the Gaylord Sertoma Club. He enjoyed spending time outdoors hunting, gardening, and feeding the birds at his family cabin, but most of all, he loved spending time with his wife, four children, eleven grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren.

Jim passed away on Friday, December 19, 2025, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis at the age of 84 years. Blessed be his memory.

Jim is survived by his:
Daughters, Dawn (Peterson) Lyons and her husband John of Sandstone and
Lisa (Peterson) Pioske and her husband Terry of Gaylord;
Sons, Mark Peterson and his wife Karen of Hastings and
Eric Peterson and his wife Carma Gorman of Austin, Texas;
Brother, Greg Peterson;
Brother-in-law, Norman Bauer and his wife Cindy;
Sister-in-law, Merle (Mrs. Jack) Peterson;
Grandchildren, Erica (Lyons) Schumacher and her husband, Jeff, Christina (Lyons) Pinson and her husband, Jeremy, Andy Pioske and his wife, Tami Jursich, Emily (Pioske) Ovrebo and her husband, Peter, Sara (Pioske) Henke and her husband, Tom, Ellen Pioske, Thomas Peterson, Elizabeth Peterson, Meagan Prouty, Allison (Prouty) Nwaudo and her husband, Dar, and Marit Peterson;
fifteen great-grandchildren;
and many other relatives and friends.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Karen; parents, Arthur and Grace Peterson; brothers, Jack and Daryl Peterson; sister, Sharon (Peterson) Hahn and her husband, Vernon; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Arnold and Luella Bauer; nephew, John Bauer; and sisters-in-law, Mavis Bauer and Julianne Peterson.