Leland B. Peterson
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Leland B. Peterson, age 96, of North Branch, MN, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2022.
Leland was born on February 8, 1925, in a farmhouse in Murdock, MN. He was the grandson of Swedish immigrants and was proud of his heritage. He was a member of the Greatest Generation, a generation that came of age during the Great Depression and World War II. He graduated from Murdock High School in the early 1940s and was the sole survivor of his graduating class at the time of his passing. He loved to dance, sing, and play music, and would remind you that he learned everything by ear. He met Crystal Olson in 1949, and they married on June 2, 1962, at Como Park Lutheran Church in Saint Paul, MN. They were a great team and were married for over fifty years.
He purchased a house in Minneapolis in 1963 and moved with his family to a farm located off of Highway 95 in North Branch in the late 1960s. They were active members of Spring Lake Lutheran Church for several decades. He would speak often about how the Good Lord had blessed him.
Leland worked in finance for most of his life. He was a bank examiner all over the country, including a few years at the treasury in Washington, DC, as well as running his own accounting business, and working as the Executive Officer at North Branch Mutual Insurance Company. He loved animals, especially horses, and enjoyed gardening, traveling, and spending time with his family. If he wasn't hard at work in his office, you would likely find him outside working on something or talking to his animals. He was always busy.
A talking history book, Leland had a razor-sharp mind and had an impeccable memory. He loved to talk about his life, his family's history, and the fascinating tale of how things have changed over the years. He was very hardworking, kind, generous, and he loved his family. He had a smooth and calming voice and was always dressed to impress. A classy guy with a sense of humor and a wealth of knowledge and experience, Leland will be remembered fondly by anyone who had the pleasure of knowing or doing business with him.
He was preceded in death by his wife Crystal; parents Beuford and Mary Alice; sister Verene and brother-in-law Stanley Levitz; brother-in-law Jerome Burns; nephew James Levitz; niece Nancy Levitz; and siblings Roland and Leona who died in childhood. He is survived by his older sister Charline (Burns); sons, Gerald (Janae), John (Barbara) and Mark; grandchildren, Lucas, Amanda (Frykman), Anna, Emily (Neil), Elizabeth, Joshua, Nicholas, Brock, and Brielle; and great-grandchildren, Olivia, Colten, Logan, Leona, Wesson, Avery, and two more on the way.
Visitation will be on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 startomg at 11 am, followed by a service at 1 pm at Grandstrand Funeral Home (6580 Main St) in North Branch. He will be laid to rest at the next day, Thursday, January 20, 2022 at 11 am, at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Murdock, MN.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of Grandstrand Funeral Home and Cremation Service in North Branch. Condolences maybe expressed online at www.grandstrandfh.com