Retired Covenant pastor Paul Alvin Peterson died January 14 at his residence in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. He was 83.
He was born on October 12, 1938, to Paul Alfred and Verna Gerhardina (Bruninga) Peterson in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On August 24, 1963, he married Joanne Lea Young. They had four children.
Paul earned a bachelor of arts in history from Augsburg College in Minneapolis and studied church history at North Park Seminary in Chicago. He also attended the Minneapolis School of Business and earned a BA in business administration and accounting, then later earned a master’s of divinity from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Illinois.
Paul was originally ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church, then transferred his ordination to the Evangelical Covenant Church in 1980. He and Joanne served Methodist churches in Illinois and Minnesota, and Covenant churches in Siren, Wisconsin, and Hector, Minnesota.
Paul is survived by his wife, Joanne; four children, Kathy Butler (Clif), Kris Kindall (Dan), Andy (Joleen), and David (Dawn); 12 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother in infancy and two brothers-in-law, Bob Cady and Ron Young.
Services will be held in the spring or summer at First Covenant Church of Willmar, Minnesota.
