Ethel Peterson

1924 - 2021

Obituaries

March 1, 2021 - 9:01 AM

Ethel L. Peterson, 96, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, at Coffey County Hospital, Burlington.

Ethel was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Woodson County, near Yates Center,  to Arthur F. and Caroline May (Pantle) Starkebaum. Ethel graduated from Vernon High School in 1943 and attended Emporia State University to obtain her teaching certificate. On Nov. 20, 1945, she married Homer E. Peterson in Yates Center, while he was home on leave from the U.S. Navy. They were blessed with four children, Donald, Lyle, Carol and Janice.

After Homer was discharged from the U.S. Navy, they moved to a farm East of Vernon, where they farmed and operated a dairy. They sold the dairy cattle in 1979 and started traveling across the United States and Canada. The farm was sold in 1994 and they moved to Le Roy. Homer and Ethel celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1995. Homer passed away on Sept. 26, 1997. Ethel remained in their home until October 2017, then moved to Life Care Center in Burlington, at the age of 93.

Ethel was a 60-plus year member of the order of the Eastern Star, Social Order of the Beauceant, VFW Auxiliary and American Legion Auxiliary. Ethel held her first office in the Eastern Star in 1957 and continued as long as her health allowed. She was appointed Grand Representative of Minnesota in Kansas in 1978, District Aid in 1982 and GCM  Teller in 1986. Ethel and Homer traveled with friends to many of these events, always looking forward to wherever they could visit next.

Ethel loved to watch KU basketball, raise African violets, cook and tend her outdoor flowers. Her sister-in-law Hellen Starkebaum shared her peanut butter pie recipe with her, which was a keeper recipe. Ethel always had two or three pies in the freezer to share with family and friends when they stopped to visit. Ethel’s kind and giving spirt will be deeply missed.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Homer; infant son, Donald; sisters, Mildred Younkin and Donna Beckmon; brothers, Harold, John and Jack Starkebaum; and son-in-law, David Turner.

Ethel is survived by her son Lyle and wife Geney Peterson, Le Roy; daughters, Carol and husband Larry Crawford, Iola, and Janice Turner, Hutchinson; sister, Lucille Logan, Salt Lake, Utah; brothers, Lewis, Cartersville, Ga., Ralph, Holton, and Kenny, LeRoy; granddaughters, Jessica Griffith and husband Mike, Kasey Raymer and husband Marc; great-granddaughters, Jalyn Griffith and Aryn Raymer; and great-grandson, Lane Griffith, all of Burlington.

A viewing for Ethel will take place from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

A private family funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, at Jones Funeral Home, Burlington. Burial will follow at Yates Center’s Graceland Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to the White Rose Chapter No. 297 Order of the Eastern Star, or the Burlington United Methodist Church, and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, PO Box 277, Burlington, Kansas 66839.

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