Loren Peters

Loren W. Peters, 79, of Bettendorf, Iowa, passed away Saturday, March 5, 2011, at Genesis Medical Center, East Campus in Davenport, Iowa.

Funeral services and Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 A.M., Thursday, March 10, 2011 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bettendorf. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf. A Christian Wake Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Rock Island National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Loren was born in Jamestown, North Dakota July 10, 1931, the son of Leon & Ann (Greshik) Peters.

He graduated from St. James Academy High School and then attended Marquette University. He graduated from North Dakota State University in 1953 and attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota for mechanical engineering.

Loren was united in marriage to Margaret M. Goven on June 21, 1954 in Underwood, North Dakota.

He served in the United States Army from 1955-1957 in the Scientific and Professional Program at Picatinny Arsenal near Dover, New Jersey.

When Loren moved to Iowa he worked for J.I. Case. He also worked for John Deere as a senior design engineer, retiring after twenty three years in 1985. A significant part of his retirement was spent helping his children with many projects.

Loren shared a great sense of adventure with his family as they explored parks out west. He loved to find roads that might hold new celebrations of nature. He enjoyed to camp, canoe and hike with his family, exploring the rivers of the Midwest and the canyon lands out west. The adventures were great through the years.

One of Loren’s biggest hobbies was creating a natural habitat for birds and butterflies. He truly enjoyed working outside tending his gardens. The birds tamely visited him daily. Loren experienced hours of joy as monarch butterflies crossed his path.

Loren has been a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish for fifty-four years. He has shared his faith with his gentle and generous spirit. Loren is deeply loved and respected by many.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Margaret; his daughter Carmen (John) DeVoe of Iowa; his son Michael (Loretta) of California; his daughter Teresa (Jim) Fleming of New Mexico; his daughter Sandra (Dan) Weigel of Michigan; and his son David (Liza) Peters of Wisconsin. Loren deeply loved his seven grandchildren.

Loren was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Neil.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Loren’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.