Fern Marilyn Peterson

Fern M. Peterson, age 94, of Junction City, Kansas, died on Friday, May 29, 2026, at Brookdale Assisted Living in Junction City, Kansas. A public visitation or church service is not planned. The family is planning a private inurnment at the Fort Riley Post Cemetery located in Fort Riley, Kansas.

Fern Marilyn (Warren) Peterson, the 8th of 15 children of John Martin and Inez Geraldine (Peterson) Warren, was born in Grove City, Minnesota on February 16, 1932. She was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church, now Trinity Lutheran Church, of Grove City. She graduated from Grove City High School in 1950. As a teenager, Fern followed in her sister Phyllis’s footsteps as a telephone operator and a “hired girl” for Mrs. S. W. Holmquist. On August 3, 1952, Fern married Earle David Peterson of Litchfield, Minnesota at the Sheppard Air Force Base Chapel in Wichita Falls, Texas. They raised a family and traveled the world together as a U.S. Air Force family. Fern was blessed with four children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Fern and Earle spent nearly 46 years together before Earle passed in June 1998. They traveled from Minnesota in 1952 to Kansas in 1988 and lived literally all over the world (Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, New Mexico, Bermuda, Illinois, Japan, Florida, California, Okinawa, Utah, Florida, California, South Dakota, Texas, and finally Kansas). As you can imagine they were excellent travelers. Fern was an avid bowler, passionate Kansas City Chiefs fan, a skilled seamstress, artist, crafter, and an excellent homemaker.

Fern was preceded in death by her parents, 13 siblings, and her husband Earle and is survived by her four children, Cynthia Ann Cronise (Terry DeWitt) of Lyons, Kansas; Paula Jo Kanclerowicz (Tony Rosenberger) of Surprise, Arizona; Ronald Earle Peterson (Cathy) of Arlington, Virginia; and Richard David Peterson (Jeaney) of Junction City, Kansas; eight grandchildren (Alisha Cronise, Benjamin Kanclerowicz, Timothy Kanclerowicz, Elizabeth Kanclerowicz, Grace Peterson, Ryan Peterson, Hanah Brenn, and Richard Peterson); four great-grandchildren (Kylie Kanclerowicz, Paige Kanclerowicz, Avery Kanclerowicz, and Penny Chatman); sister Faye Kjolsing of Litchfield, Minnesota; sister-in-law Joanne (Jody) Warren, of Hingham, Montana, sister-in-law Margret Ann (Peterson) Brueckner (Lowell) of Spain; brother-in-law Samuel Richard Peterson (Phyllis) of Sheldon, Iowa, and dozens of cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to “Accord Hospice-Manhattan” by calling 785-376-0346 or mailing a donation to 3250 Kimball Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66503.