John Edgar Peterson ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

J. E. Peterson was the son of Henry County, Iowa pioneer R. H. Peterson (1831 - 1897) and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth [Shelledy] Peterson. R. H. and Sarah were married in 1858 when he was a teacher traveling among small towns in Iowa. There were three children in the family: J. E., Laura Peterson, and Ida Peterson.

J. E.'s father, R. H., opened a general store in New London in 1871 on the North side of main street, and the store remained in the family run by him or his son, in the same location, until it was sold to a Mr. E. R. Morrow in about 1815.

In 1886 J. E. Peterson married Florence Lee, the daughter of Mary Jane and Samuel Lee. Florence's mother, born Mary Jane Leas in Indiana, was the daughter of Jane [Walker] and Thomas Chapman Leas. Florence was one of four children in their family, the others being John W. Lee (March 16, 1862 - March 22, 1912) who married Mary Lillian Miltenberger (and they were the parents of Grace Lee; Jochem Lee; and Eva Lee); Cora Alice Lee (January 03, 1869 - ?); and Charity Jane Lee (July 26, 1868 - November 19, 1960), who married Francis H. Seaton (July 26, 1868 - October 11, 1941) (the parents of George Leland Seaton (February 09, 1901 - February 23, 1997), Donald Francis Seaton (May 16, 1903 - June 29, 1987), and Harold Thomas Seaton (February 05, 1907 - May 02, 1993).

Florence and J. E. Peterson had four children: Ruth Peterson, born in about 1892 in Iowa, and died in 1969; Mary Peterson, born in about 1886 in Iowa, and died unknown; Norma L. Peterson, born April 21, 1897 in Iowa and died September 23, 1972 in Cupertino, Santa Clara County, California. Norma married a man named Gregerson, and they had a daughter: Patricia Gregerson; Robert Glenn Peterson (Glen or Glenn), who was born November 26, 1899 in Iowa, and died November 19, 1971 in Los Angeles County, California.

The New London Journal of May 17, 1928, commented on "the late J. E. Peterson, who fostered many projects that have made New London the best town of its size along the Burlington Railroad. Mr. Peterson built the Fairfield Glove and Mitten Factory building and started this concern. He built and organized the Iowa State Bank. He constructed the E. R. Morrow bilding ... Citizens today declare the beautiful Methodist Protestant Church would never have been built but for the financial support and effort of J. E. Peterson. So today, years after Mr. Peterson departed from this world, these monuments still stand as a memory to his energy and business ability."

John married Florence "Flossie" Lee, daughter of Samuel B. Lee and Mary Jane "Versey" Leas, on 28 Sep 1886 in Iowa, USA. (Florence "Flossie" Lee was born on 3 Jan 1869 in Iowa, USA and died on 25 Dec 1953 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.)