Memorial services for Dwane “Pete” Peterson will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Grace Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. The Rev. Shane Koepke will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Preston. Local honors will be performed by the Albert Lea area veterans organizations.

Dwane “Pete” Ellsworth Peterson passed away at 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea — just two days before his 82nd birthday.

Dwane was born Dec. 13, 1936, in Albert Lea to Oscar and Mabel (Berg) Peterson.

Dwane graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1956. He went on to join the U.S. Army on Jan 2, 1957. After serving for 20 years, he retired from the U.S. Army on May 31, 1977. He then worked as a Freeborn County deputy sheriff for two years until he accepted a job with the U.S. government. He retired from the National Security Agency on Dec. 31, 1996.

During his two careers with the government, he found time to marry the love of his life, Mary Jane Illsley, of Jeffers. The two were married June 24, 1962. The couple had four children: Susan, Christina, Matthew and Michael.

During his distinguished time with the U.S. Army and NSA, Dwane and his family lived overseas for almost 40 years. In that time Dwane also was a war veteran, having served in the Vietnam War from July 1970 to July 1971.

After his retirement from the NSA, Dwane and Mary lived in Florida for seven years, then moved to Albert Lea to be closer to family and friends.

Dwane was preceded in death by his mother, Mabel (Berg) Peterson-Kalvig; father, Oscar Peterson; sisters Orliss Diaz and Karen Quam; brother-in-law, Frank Diaz; and nephews Kevin Diaz and David Diaz.

Dwane is survived by his wife of 54 years, Mary; his four children, Sue Yost and her husband, Steve, of Emmons, Tina Sedlmeyr and her husband, Stefan, of Munich, Germany, Matt of Rochester and Mike of Huntington, West Virginia; and three grandchildren, Bryan Yost and his wife, Madison, of Elk Point, South Dakota, Sam (Yost) Noble and her husband, Spence, of Dodge Center and Amber Peterson of Huntington. Dwane had the joy of welcoming a great-grandson, Rhys Peter Noble, into the world in June 2018. He is also survived by two nephews, Richard Diaz of Albert Lea and Jeffery Diaz of Galveston, Indiana, and niece, Kathy Diaz, of Albert Lea.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Heifer International in memory of Dwane Ellsworth Peterson.