Service of Remembrance for Eugene "Blair" Peterson, 88, of Lemmon, SD will be Monday, April 4, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Lemmon. Rev. Ken Miller will officiate.

Burial with Full Military Honors will be on Wednesday, April 6, at 11:30 a.m. at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD.

Visitations will be from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 3, at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon and one hour prior to the funeral on Monday morning at the church. A gathering of family and friends will be Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home in Lemmon.

Eugene Blair Peterson was born on August 14, 1922 in Faith, SD to Walter and Ruby (Gustavus) Peterson. As a child, his family moved quite frequently, depending on his father's employment and Blair grew up in Eagle Butte, SD, McLaughlin, SD and Seattle, WA. His family settled in Lemmon, SD in 1932 and Blair graduated from Lemmon High School and attended one year of college in Huron, SD.

Blair was united in marriage to Elaine Cooper on November 23, 1942, just before he went off to serve his country during World War II. He served overseas in the China Campaign, Central Burma and India Campaign until 1945. Blair returned to his family in Lemmon which now included twins, Daryl and Diane. A third child, Greg was born to him and Elaine in 1949. Until 1950 he was involved in the trucking industry. He and his family were active members of the Calvary Lutheran Church in Lemmon.

Blair began the John Deere franchise in 1950, sold Studebaker and Packard cars, added a Ford franchise in 1959, all while also farming and ranching, raising grain and cattle with his family. His wife Elaine passed away on May 5, 1987.

In 1992, Blair married a lifelong friend, Martha Jean Ginther, who had also lost her spouse, Pete Ginther in 1988. They spent winters in Arizona but continued to be on the farm near Lemmon and enjoyed spending time with their combined families and friends.
Due to Blair's health, they weren't able to spend the last few winters in AZ and moved into Lemmon in the fall of 2010.

Blair passed away unexpectedly at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND on Wednesday, March 30, 2011.

Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife, Martha Jean, of Lemmon, his children and their spouses, Daryl and Jackie Peterson, of Lake Lure, NC, Diane and Dale Aspengren, of Albany, OR and Greg and Cathy Peterson, of Queen Creek, AZ; grandchildren and their spouses, Karrin and John Mayer, Kirsten Aspengren, Erik and Joanna Aspengren, Daren and Kami Peterson, Todd and Genevie Peterson and Stephanie and Gregg Brown; great grandchildren, Chase Branson, Sebastian Peterson, Nickolas Brown, Cooper Brown, Kylee Peterson and Emily Peterson; step-children and their spouses, Karen and Fred Beer, Jim and Rhonda Ginther, Meg and Dave Schell, Beth and Fred Haberkern and Mike Ginther; step grandchildren, Mike Beer, Ryan Beer, Jeanna Kohn, Alexis Dho, Dylan Ginther, Weston Ginther, Jessie Ginther and Karlee Haberkern and 16 step-great grandchildren.

Blair was preceded in death by his parents, Walt in 1984, Ruby in 1995 and his wife, Elaine in 1987 and step daughter-in-law, Kay Ginther in 2011.

A memorial has been established.