PETERSON: Lorne Francis Peterson passed away at the St. Paul's Hospital on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at the age of 84 years. Lorne will be sadly missed by his wife, Lillian, four daughters; Beverly (Gordon) Nagus, Kathy (Walter) Neufeld, Dianne Peterson, and Rhonda Peterson, two grandchildren: Michael (Poonam) Nagus and Kirk (Renee) Nagus, two great grandchildren; Leo and Cari, siblins: Ruth (Alex) Schumacher, and Orale Peterson, sister in law Rita Peterson, and numerous other relatives. Lorne was predeceased by sister Pearl (Stuart) Beviss, brother Carl Peterson, and sister in law Bev Peterson. The Memorial Services for Lorne was conducted from the Neilburg Community Hall, Neilburg, Saskatchewan on Monday, October 15, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. with Tom Poppleton Officiating. The Eulogy was read by Michael and Kirk Nagus "He's amazing", "he's so strong". In the last days of our Grandfathers life the two words came up repeatedly by the nurses and caregivers around him. these are things we already knew. We are here today to celebrate the life of our grandfather Lorne Fred Francis Peterson, Tony. Tony was born on the farm in Carruthers district in 1928. The youngest of five he lived in or near Carruthers his entire life. He attended Carruthers school and then left to find work on farms in the area. He went out with friends and found work in BC and Hamilton, Ontario, before returning to Carruthers to begin work for the CNR. During this time he met, fell in love and married our grandma Lillian Goodfellow. together they raised four daughters; Bev, Kathy, Dianne, and Rhonda. In 1967 he purchased what is now the family farm in Lilydale, where he pursued his passion for farming. He grew the farm over the years, adding more land and cattle, purchasing his last cattle in the Spring of 2011 at the young age of 82. The farm provided the backdrop for many fond memories for his family, grandchildren and great grandchildren. His daughter's fondest memories are chasing the cows, usually just prior to leaving for town on Saturday night! They also remember their father's colourful descriptions of the cattle and how they themselves were often endearingly referred to as Posts! the pasture in the sand hills was one of Tony's favorite places to go, and checking on the cows there was a frequent Sunday afternoon excursion. This trip often extended on to Birch lake for a family picnic and afternoon of relaxation, a tradition that has carried on to this day. The farm kept him busy though the years, but occasionally he would take a few days and join his family at various lakes throughout Saskatchewan. After the girls left home, Tony and Lil traveled farther afield throughout North America on vacations with friends, including trips to Hawaii, California and Arizona. Their last family trip was an Alaskan cruise with their daughters, in May of this year. Once Tony rented out most of his land he had a little more time on his hands. this gave him more time for socializing and sharing stories over a cup of coffee with close friends and neighbours. he loved his "coffee row" often going twice a day-which his daughters found amusing, as when they were growing up they were lucky to get to town once a week. "We don't have to be on the road all the time!" he'd say. Three of the most frequent stops were at, Laurie Wakefields to talk farming and grain prices, Marilyn Lindsay's to discuss and get help with cattle and finally down the road to visit and drop off treats for his girls at Sara and Jays!In more recent years he enjoyed spending time at Bev and Gords cottage at Emma Lake. Tony spent his 80th birthday at the lake, relaxing with family and friends and riding the Sea-Doo. He was easy to pick out on the busy lake, as he was the only one riding a Sea-Doo in a ball cap, sneakers and jeans! Tony worked hard every day of his life for his family, not because he had to, but because he absolutely loved what he was doing. He may have left us too early, but he was allowed to do what he loved for his entire life, right up until the end. And knowing Tony, as you all do, this meant a lot. The nurses descriptions of our grandfather as being "amazing and strong", are exactly correct and we love him for it. You had an amazing life grandpa, and we'll all miss you dearly. The interment was held in the Carruthers Cemetery. Donations in memory of Lorne may be made to the Neilburg United Church, Neilburg Seniors Centre, or to a Charity of the Donor's Choice. McCaw Funeral Services Ltd. of Lloydminster, Alberta administered the funeral arrangements.
