Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 29 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran (Clarion) Church, LaMoille, with the Celebration of Life service immediately following. The Rev. Ian Griffith will officiate. Graveside services will take place at Oakland Cemetery, Princeton. Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota is assisting the family.

Patricia was born in Princeton on June 24, 1943, to Elburn and Darlene (Raker) Swanlund. She was welcomed home by her brother, Richard Lee Swanlund, and later became "big sister" to Mary Lynne Swanlund Simpson Woodley. The family lived in rural Malden until she was about 12 and then moved to rural Princeton where she was known as being "Dad's right-hand man," dutifully caring and feeding the family's purebred Angus cattle when she returned home from school each day.

A Malden Musketeers cheerleader and Sweetheart Queen, she was more interested in dating than studying once she met the love of her life, and she has never left his side. Patricia graduated from Malden High School in 1961 and KSB School of Nursing in Dixon in 1964. She obtained her certification as a Registered Nurse, and she married Joe Leland Peterson of LaMoille on August 17, 1963.

Her eldest daughter, Stephanie, was born in 1965 and the family continued to be blessed when Stephen was born in 1967 and Amanda, affectionately known as Mom's "Bonus Baby," came in 1971. Finding joy as a devoted stay-at-home Mom, she later decided to return to nursing and the care of the elderly, taking a job at Heritage Manor in Mendota and then spending the remainder of her time as the Director of Nursing at her beloved Mendota Lutheran Home where she was instrumental in helping design, build, and decorate MLH's west wing.

Throughout her lifetime, she was blessed to color her world with wonderfully devoted friends from all walks of life, including most recently, the "Golden Girls." She also felt the intense, almost indescribable joy of being "Grama" to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, whom she said always made her "feel young" and spurred on her love of children's writing, including all our favorite excerpts of "Contralta," a must-read every Halloween.

A kind and nurturing soul, Patricia touched many lives with her generous spirit, love for life, and hope in Jesus and the Kingdom to come. She made time to ensure everyone – both young and old – felt cared for, loved, respected, and heard. She was the wife of 59 years that loved her husband intently and unfailingly through happiness and sorrow, and the mom everyone wanted to adopt as their own. She truly was the kind of person that will be remembered forever and cherished by all.

She is survived by her husband, Joe Peterson of LaMoille; three children, Stephanie (Jeffrey) DeMay of Geneseo, Stephen (Amy) Peterson of Princeton, and Amanda (Mark) Varland of rural Marseilles. Grandchildren include Brandon (Amelia) Cartwright of Walnut; Chase (Sarah) Cartwright of Wauwatosa, WI; Allison (Cody Dillin) Peterson of Rantoul; Erin (Christian) Krafft of Princeton; Andrew Varland of Richmond Hill, GA; and Rebekah, Kathryn, and Matthew Varland, all of rural Marseilles; plus three great-grandchildren, Axel Cartwright of Walnut, Jayden and Jordyn Anderson of Princeton, and Andrew Krafft, who is expected in December; her sister, Mary Woodley of Princeton; one brother-in-law, Leo Peterson of Dixon; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, and her grandparents.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home, Peoria, Zion Evangelical Lutheran (Clarion) Church, LaMoille or a charity of the donor's choosing. Condolences may be sent to 29434 U.S. Hwy. 34, LaMoille, IL 61330.