Joan M. Peterson, 84, a resident of Bloomington, peacefully passed away Saturday (July 6, 2019) at her home after a brief and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by family offering an abundance of love and support.
A service to celebrate her life will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, at East Lawn Funeral Home, Bloomington. A visitation will be held from 4 - 7 p.m. on Friday, July 12, at East Lawn. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at www.pancan.org.
Joan was born April 10, 1935, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is the daughter of Ralph and Edna Connors. Soon after she graduated from Northeast High School, she met Ervin Peterson and they were married on July 25, 1953 in Lincoln. They celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary prior to Erv’s death in 2009.
Joan and Erv traveled the world after his retirement from State Farm in 1991. One of their favorite trips was to Denmark, spending several weeks with extended family there and adding to Joan’s extensive genealogy research dating their families back to the 1600s.
Joan was an expert seamstress, making clothes for their two daughters and grandchildren, and also enjoyed quilting later in life, sharing her projects with family, friends and hospitalized veterans.
Through the years, she was very active in several bowling leagues, being an excellent bowler in
addition to serving as secretary for the State Farm Friday Night League. She also volunteered weekly at BroMenn Hospital and always supported Illinois State University sports teams, particularly basketball, for which she was a season ticketholder for more than 40 years . More recently, she enjoyed regular get togethers with lifelong friends, as well as game nights and dinners out with her many wonderful neighborhood friends.
Joan played an active role in the lives of her children and grandchildren, attending their activities,
sports, and the special events in their lives. Her entire family is grateful for the important role she played in all their lives. She was the perfect role model of strength, independence, love, and integrity.
Those left to honor her memory include her loving daughters Leigh (Richard) Scott of Bloomington, IL, and Amy (Steve) Reynolds of The Woodlands, TX; her grandchildren, Jenny (Jerry) Schulz of Lakeville, MN, Wendy (Doug) Davis of McLean, IL, Ryan (Bridget) Scott of Bloomington, IL, Allison Reynolds, Zachary Reynolds, and Hannah Reynolds, all of The Woodlands, TX; her great grandchildren, Sydney and Collin Schulz, Andy and Ethan Davis, and Natalie and Landon Scott; her sister, Marilyn Lipker of Salina, KS; and her many other relations and wonderful friends whom she loved so much.
Her husband, parents, and brother, Tom Connors, preceded her in death.
Condolences may also be expressed by visiting the memorial at www.eastlawn-bloomington.com .
