John R. Peterson of Mokelumne Hill, surrounded by his loving family, died Thursday, July 10, at Mark Twain Hospital in San Andreas. He was 87.

Born March 10, 1921 in Douglas, Wyoming, Mr. Peterson was the editor and publisher of the Calaveras Prospect, Weekly-Citizen & Chronicle and the Calaveras Californian from October 1961 to January 1998. Under his leadership, the newspapers won several awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and a special award from the California School Boards Association for service to education.

He had served as a trustee for Calaveras Unified School District and the County Board of Education, president of the Mokelumne Hill Fire Commission, director of Calaveras County Water District, and a member of LAFCO, the County Committee on School District Reorganization, and the County Democratic Central Committee. He had been a grand marshal of the Mokelumne Hill 4th of July parade. One of his fondest memories was of reading his prize-winning poem at the dedication of the Calaveras County Main Library.

His hobbies were sports, the theater, and crossword puzzles. He coached the Mokelumne Hill Little League and directed community theater in Los Angeles, Calaveras, and Shasta Counties. He had been a member of the Commonwealth Club, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and the Southern California Industrial Editors Association.

Mr. Peterson was graduated from St. Patrick's Seminary & University in Menlo Park and received a master's degree in theater from UCLA. He began his newspaper career at the Daily Bruin at UCLA, where he met his wife, Eleanor; they were married in 1949. He taught school in Salinas and Redding, and worked for the Shasta County welfare department and Shell Oil Company in Los Angeles before buying Calaveras Publishing Company.

Mr. Peterson leaves his wife Eleanor; his children, Eric (Anita Teer) of Mokelumne Hill, Lise (Donald Peattie) of Aptos, Noel (Kim) of Tracy, John William (In Ja Halcomb) of Elk Grove, David of Mokelumne Hill, and Edward (Jennifer) of Las Vegas; his grandchildren, Anne (Ammon Torrence) of Cambridge, England, and John William of San Francisco; and his step-grandchildren, Lindsey and Jack Smith of Tracy, Katie and Christopher Wilson of Las Vegas, and Steven and Shella Lucas of Missouri; his sister Nancy (Mrs. Edward L. McCarthy) of Sacramento, his brother Michael of Tacoma, and his half-sister, Betsy Peterson of Galt.

San Andreas Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements. The family has held private services. Memorial contributions may be made to Mark Twain Hospital Foundation, 768 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas, CA 95249; Calaveras Senior Center, 956 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas; or Mokelumne Hill Fire Department, PO Box 141, Mokelumne Hill, CA 95245.

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