Thomas Peterson

Thomas Marshal "Tom" Peterson, age 71, of Nisswa, formerly of Melrose and originally of Richfield, was escorted by the angels on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 to his eternal home in Heaven to be forever with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, after a lengthy battle with esophageal cancer.

Visitation and celebration of Tom's life will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, August 3 at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. A private family interment was held at Oak Hill Cemetery in Melrose.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 5 at Granite City Baptist Church in St. Cloud (County Road 134 just north of Veterans Parkway) with Pastor Dennis Campbell officiating. Lunch will be served following the service.

Thomas Marshal Peterson was born December 27, 1945 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Duane and Winifred (Robbins) Peterson. He graduated from Richfield High School in 1963 where he participated in football, hockey, and track. He continued his schooling at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He majored in Physical Education with a minor in Religion and Biology and graduated in 1967. During his college years, he met and married Shirleegene "Shirley" Flamo of Dell Rapids, South Dakota, the daughter of Joe and Edna (Brue) Flamo.

Tom worked as a youth and camp director for the YMCA in Port Edwards, Wisconsin and lived in Wisconsin Rapids where their first son, Adam Thomas was born. A change in occupations later moved them to Savage, Minnesota and then LeSueur where their second son, Seth Joseph was born. Tom did insurance sales, construction work, and for many years, drove a commercial route for Browning Ferris Industries. They moved to Prior Lake in 1973 where their sons would attend and graduate from Prior Lake Christian School. During those years, the family gained assurance of salvation through each one's personal faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, received believer's baptism by immersion, and became active members of the Prior Lake Baptist Church. Tom and Shirley would later enjoy some years of truck driving together and lived in Nisswa after the death of Tom's parents before coming to Melrose to start a family business in 2000.

Tom was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2015, and after lengthy hospital and rehab stays he was put on hospice in May of 2016. He and Shirley moved back to Nisswa in August of 2016 to spend his last days at their peaceful lake home.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley of Nisswa; sons, Adam Peterson of Melrose and Seth Peterson of Nisswa; grandchildren, Emily, Josiah, Phillip, and Jeremiah; sister, Evelyn (Bruce) McLean of Coon Rapids; and sister-in-law, Gail Peterson of Milbank, South Dakota.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents; dear daughter-in-law, Lauren Peterson; and his brother, Bruce Peterson.

It would be Tom's hope and prayer that all who read this obituary would come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and join him in Heaven one day.