Peterson - Clifford Vance
Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review 10 Feb 1966 p 1 typed by Walt W
Clifford V. Peterson, 86, former member of the news staff of The Journal-Review, died at 9:40 a.m. Thursday at the Masonic Home in Franklin where he and Mrs. Peterson had lived since 1962. Mr. Peterson was a reporter for The Journal-Review from 1943 until his retirement about eight years ago. He lived at 607 W. Main St. prior to going to Franklin. A charter member of the Crawfordsville Rotary Club, he served for many years as secretary of the organization and as editor of "Spokes and Cogs." Fellow Rotarians honored him with a "Cliff Peterson Day" in September, 1958. He was also active most of his life in the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity which he joined while a student at Wabash College. He served as alumni advisor for many years and was named "outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 1959." He was born Nov. 20, 1879, on a farm northwest of Darlington. His parents were John Quincy and Mary Campbell Peterson. His grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Silas Peterson and Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Campbell, all members of pioneer families in Montgomery County. Mr. Peterson was a grade school student in the Madison Township School just south of Kirkpatrick. Upon the completion of his grade school studies, Mr. Peterson's father and stepmother became residents of Crawfordville. Mr. Peterson entered school at Wabash College and was graduated there in the class of 1900. He played shortstop on the baseball team and forward on the basketball team for three years. Following his graduation, he became a reporter on the Indianapolis Sentinel, where he served for five years. Most of that time he served as editor of the paper's magazine section. At the same time, he attended law school for two years — one year at the Indiana Law School and one at the Indianapolis College of Law where he was graduated in 1905. He married Mary Alice Watson of Crawfordsville on Oct. 31, 1905. Two months after the marriage, the Indianapolis Sentinel suspended publication in January, 1906. When his newspaper duties ceased, Mr. Peterson and Mrs. Peterson came back to Crawfordsville and he became a reporter on the staff of the Argus News, where he worked for five years. In January, 1911, Mr. Peterson became associated with the Central States Life Insurance Co. in Crawfordsville, which had been organized here in 1908 by Edwin M. Brown, also a Wabash College graduate. The Central States was reinsured late in the 1920s and Mr. Peterson then became engaged in the general insurance business for about 15 years. While employed at The Journal-Review he conducted the "Let's Meet The President" feature for the paper. Mr. Peterson has been a member of the Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church since his marriage in 1905. He served as a trustee and also as a deacon and as an elder in the church. He was a member of the Masonic bodies in Crawfordsville for more than 50 years. He has served as eminent commander of the Knights Templar Organization in Masonry here and had also served as the worthy patron of Athens Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are the parents of one daughter, Eleanor Peterson, who has been a librarian since her graduation from DePauw University and she was on the staff of the Cleveland Public Library in Ohio. She now resides in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Peterson's sister, Mrs. Georgia Cox, is a resident of Darlington. Graveside rites will be conducted at Oak Hill Cemetery at 4 p.m. Saturday. Dr. John G. DeKruyter will officiate. Friends may call after 7 p.m. Friday at Bright Funeral Home.