Donna Mae Peterson's Obituary
Racine-Donna Mae Peterson (nee Latshaw), 87, passed away peacefully at her residence on Monday, November 21, 2022.
Donna was born on December 16, 1934, to the late Don and Lenore (nee Johnson) Latshaw in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She was united in marriage to Clarence Peterson on November 10, 1955, in Racine. They were married for 52 years until Clarence’s passing in March of 2007.
Donna was a past member of Gethsemane & Our Saviors Lutheran Church and a current member of Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church. Donna cared deeply about the environment and the Racine community, spending a great deal of her time making the world a better place. She often said, “We should bloom where we are planted.” She joined the Sierra Club in 1981 and led the environmental education programs for 24 years. Other nature groups she volunteered with included Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Hoy Audubon Society, River Bend Nature Center, Root River Council, Wisconsin Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin DNR, Kenosha/Racine Land Trust, Eagle Valley, Fairy Bluff Eagle Council, Safe Water Around Badger, and Project Wild. Other volunteer groups include YWCA Board Member, Racine Theater Guild, and Friends of the Library. Donna received several awards which included Park High School Hall of Fame, Sierra Clubs 100 Heroes, Racine Unified Friends of Education, and the 1992 Wisconsin Environmental Woman of Action.
Donna worked as an elementary school substitute teacher. She was proud of the Model “T” Ford that she and her son, Tom, guided back to life in 2010. She was equally proud of a family cookbook containing 126 recipes, stories, poems, quotes, and pictures she wrote in 2009 called “Love’n from Aunt Dorothy”.
Donna will be deeply missed by her son, Tom Peterson of Racine; daughter, Elisa Weeks of Caledonia; grandson, Alan Minkel of Milwaukee; granddaughter, Sage Peterson of Racine; and sister, Jackie Koch of Florida; along with many other relatives and friends.
Donna is predeceased by her husband, Clarence; and brother, James Latshaw.
A celebration of Donna's life will be held at Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church on Friday, December 16, 2022, at 1:00 P.M with Rev. Danielle Lindstrom officiating. A reception will follow at First Presbyterian Church Of Racine after services. Private inurnment will take place at West Lawn Memorial Park at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Donna’s name may be directed to Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church (625 College Ave, Racine, WI 53403), Chiwaukee Prairie State Natural Area (Al Kampert Trail, Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158), and/or Racine Theater Guild (2519 Northwestern Ave, Racine, WI 53404).
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