Eleanor 'Elly' Peterson

STAPLES --Eleanor "Elly" Peterson, 70, Staples, died Tuesday, May 16, 2000, at the Tri-County Hospital of Wadena.

She was born Jan. 23, 1930, in Fargo, N.D., to Oscar and Helen (McKeegan) Bengston. She graduated from Audubon High School as salutatorian. She attended Detroit Lakes School of Business and worked from 1949-1990 as a secretary, accounting clerk and administrative assistant. She was diagnosed with scoliosis and ataxia and stayed for extended times at Gillette Hospital of St. Paul until she was a high school freshman. She worked at the State Bank of Lake Park, the Peterson-Biddick Co. in Wadena and at the Wadena Clinic. For 22 years, she was a secretary and administrative assistant in the Staples School District. She worked and lived in Wadena before moving to Staples. She married Richard Peterson in 1966. He died in 1980. She was an active community volunteer. She compiled historical information for both the Staples Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1964 and the Staples Centennial in 1989. She worked on Staples All-School reunion committees in 1989 and 1995 and was involved with the Reunion 2000 committee. She worked on Centennial Auditorium projects and Staples Jaycees and Staples Rotary club projects. She was a volunteer coordinator for the Staples Food Shelf, Star City project and Republican Party activities. She was the recipient of the first Outstanding Layperson in Education Award given in 1984 by the Staples Education Association and received a recognition award from the Minnesota Arts Council in 1998 for her work with the Arts Across Minnesota project.

Survivors include two cousins.

Her parents and her husband died earlier.

Services will be 4 p.m. Monday at the Centennial Auditorium at Staples Motley High School with Pastor Randy Tabor officiating. Burial will be in Richwood Lutheran Church cemetery near Calloway.

The Cremation Society of Minnesota is in charge of arrangements.