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Ellen Ruth Peterson
Born: July 26th, 1930
Died: January 23rd, 2021
Obituary
Ellen Ruth Peterson, 90, of Burlington passed from this life to the next at Great River Medical center on January 23, 2021. Born July 26, 1930, in Plymouth, WI, she was the daughter of Earl D. and Ruth O. (Fiebelkorn) Vanderhoof. She married Walter L. Peterson on August 19, 1962 in Iowa City, Iowa. Ellen was a professor in the Physiology Department at the University of Iowa. She then taught Anatomy & Physiology at Southeastern Community College for 22 years until her retirement in 1992.
Ellen was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one niece and her stepfather. She is survived by her son John D. (Jill) Peterson of Hubertus, Wisconsin; grandchildren Andrew (Courtney) Peterson, Ben (Carolyn) Peterson, Luke Peterson, and Anna Peterson; and great grandchildren Coby, Myla and Cayden Peterson, all who live in Wisconsin. Also surviving are brother Dwain (Julie) Vanderhoof of Goleta, CA., sister Diane Willrodt of Humble TX and stepbrother Paul (Cindy) Kissinger of Neenah, WI.
Ellen was a member of First Congregational Church, the Board of Trustees at Southeastern Community College, and the P.E.O. chapter HU. She will be remembered as Dr. Peterson by the hundreds of nurses and health professionals she taught and influenced at SCC. Her family will remember her as Grandma Ellie.
The Celebration of Life service for Ellen will be held 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 22nd at Lunning Chapel. Rev. Jim Francisco will officiate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Private family inurnment will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery.
A memorial has been established for First Congregational Church or Hope Haven.
The family would like to specifically recognize the awesome Bickford Family Members who cared for Ellen so well over the last three