Donald Peterson, of Montevideo, died on Friday, March 4, 2011 at the Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo at the age of 88. Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. at St Joseph Catholic Church in Montevideo with Fr. Jim Devorak the celebrant. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday afternoon and evening with the family present from 5 - 7 P.M. and with a prayer service at 6:30 P.M. at the Anderson Funeral Home in Montevideo. Donald James Peterson was of that generation that came of age during the Great Depression, fought in World War II, raised a family, worked, started a business, and achieved sobriety. Donald James Peterson was born on July 15, 1922 on a farm in Chippewa County, MN to Elmer and Ella (Anderson) Peterson. Don was baptized and confirmed at Strombeck Lutheran Church in rural Montevideo. He attended District 16 school and graduated from Morris Agricultural High School. By the time Don was 10, America was gripped by the Great Depression. Don's childhood recollection was that, "We didn't feel poor because everyone was in the same boat." Don's father, Elmer, put money and life in perspective one day as they traveled to town to play 3 cushion billiards and noticed two neighboring bachelor farmers pitching manure in the rain. "That," Elmer told Don, "is why they are rich and we are not." In his late teens Don joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and helped construct Jay Cooke State Park. Don enlisted in the Coast Guard at the start of WWII, serving convoy duty on a destroyer between America and North Africa. Besides fending off German subs, Don played a lot of successful poker and was able to send his winnings back home. Don had many war stories. One of his favorites was how he went from a Scandinavian farming community to a Navy destroyer and made friends with Puerto Ricans, Italians, Jews, and Irish who were his shipmates. As Don explained it, no one ever told him to hate people who were different from him so he, "just became friends with everyone." Following the war, Don married Delores Harpel on October 27, 1947 and the couple raised three children: From 1947 to 1964 Don worked as a lineman for the Montevideo REA and in his spare time farmed and played serious fast pitch softball. In 1964 he started Peterson Electric Construction, and with his loyal crew of workers, built power lines and substations throughout the area. It was during this time that Don's alcoholism became acute and in 1965 he entered treatment. Don prayed to God for sobriety and with God''s help and the support of Alcoholics Anonymous he stayed sober until the day he died. In 1988 Don retired, splitting his time between Minnesota and Arizona. Don pursued his passions of competitive bridge, Twins baseball, bowling and truly enjoyed the company of family and friends. He remained active in AA and helped fellow alcoholics achieve sobriety. Don moved to Montevideo in 2007 to live the final chapter of his life where it began. Despite physical limitations, he maintained a positive attitude toward life and kept in close touch with family and friends. Don is survived by his three children: David (and Judie) Peterson of Redwood Falls, MN John (and Deb) Peterson of Albert Lea, MN and Janice Peterson of Chanhassen, MN; eight grandchildren: Kevin, Juliana, Greg, Nick, Becky, Kelly, Tom and Marcelo, five great grandchildren and a special friend, Lucille Smith of Sun City, AZ Don was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Delores in 1977, a sister Doris Johnson and a daughter-in-law, Carole Peterson.