David Leroy Peterson

David Leroy Peterson, 75, of Benson, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2021, after a month-long battle with COVID-19. David was born on December 13, 1946, to Christian and Lucille Peterson in Bertha, MN. After David graduated from Clarissa Public High School in 1964, he served in the United States Army, including a tour of duty in Korea from 1966 to 1969, where he worked as a heavy equipment operator and driver.

After returning to the states, David continued his driving career and worked as a milk truck driver. He transitioned to over-the-road driving in 1977 with North Star Transport, and then with Transport America in 1998. In his long driving career, he logged over 6 million miles, and was frequently honored for his outstanding driving safety record. He retired from over-the-road driving in 2017 and worked for Larson Gravel running bulldozer and dump truck. When he wasn’t working, David was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, gun collecting, and gardening. In recent years, he became actively involved in the Benson Tractor Club and competed in numerous tractor pulling contests.

David was preceded in death by his father, Christian Peterson; his mother, Lucille Peterson; and his father-in-law, Riley Anderson. He is survived by his wife, Rochelle; 3 children, David (Gayle) Peterson, Stephanie (Christian) Drayna, and Christopher Peterson; 4 grandchildren, Kyle (Samantha) Peterson, Caitlin Drayna, Madeline (fiancé Joel Ransom) Drayna, and Brenden Howard; 2 great grandchildren, Iris Peterson and Emmalyn Howard; 2 sisters, Sharon Anderson, and Mavis (Gary) McElmurray; Mother- in-law Carol Anderson; and sister-in-law Pam and (Chuck) Fennell; and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Benson, MN on Monday, January 3, 2022. Visitation will be from 11:00am to 1:00pm; Celebration of Life will begin at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Benson Trap Club, a local school organization that reflects David’s interests and hobbies, c/o Andy Abner, 513 N highway 29, Benson, Minnesota, 56215. Zniewski Funeral Home of Benson is in charge of the arrangements.