In Memoriam  

Albert F. "Pete" Peterson
The Virginian-Pilot, (Norfolk, VA) - November 6, 1994

Albert F. ''Pete'' Peterson, 79, of the 300 block of Allen Rd., Cradock, died November 4, 1994, in a hospital.

Mr. Peterson, a native of Nesquehoning, PA., was a former principal of James Hurst Elementary School and had retired from the Portsmouth Public School System after 35 years of service. He was a member of Olive Branch Christian Church, Toano, VA. His memberships included Victory Chapter 16, Order of the Eastern Star; Harmony Masonic Lodge 20, New Britain, CT; Portsmouth Scottish Rite Bodies; Lafayette Lodge (NU)9, Order of Odd Fellows; and American Legion Post 328.

He is survived by his wife, Eloise Bangs Peterson.

A graveside funeral will be held 3 p.m. Monday in Olive Branch Christian Church Cemetery, Toano, VA. Friends may join the family today from 3 to 4 p.m. at Foster Funeral Home and at other times at the home of Curtis Hoscheid, 5209 High St. West.


 

Spouse:

The Virginian-Pilot, (Norfolk, VA) - January 10, 1996

Eloise Bangs Peterson, 85, formerly of the 300 block of Allen Road, died Jan. 8, 1996, in Portsmouth.

Mrs. Peterson was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Norge, Va., at an early age. She was a member of Olive Branch Christian Church, Toano, Va., Victory Chapter 16, Order of Eastern Star. She was the widow of Albert F. ''Pete'' Peterson.

She is survived by a brother, Pete Bangs of Nesquehoning, Pa.

A funeral service will be at noon today in Foster Funeral Home, Portsmouth, by Rev. Matt Davidson. Burial will be in Olive Branch Christian Church Cemetery, Toano, Va., when weather permits.
 

In the fall of 1955 I, as do all children , left the safety of my home and started out for a life on my own. Mine wasn't as bad as many because God had given me a twin. So my venture was sort of like the exploration team of Louis and Clark, I had a companion. Well at least until the third grade when they found out that Clark was smarter than Louis and Clark got promoted to an advanced class and I got left behind. Well it just goes to show you that you can't have both brains and good looks so I settled for the later and went out on my own looking for a beautiful woman with a big enough brain for the both of us. Well as I wrote earlier I settled for a beautiful woman (a wingless angel), which I must add proves again; "brains ain’t everything". And one other thing, if all beautiful girls had brains then guys like Louis and me wouldn't be a-marrying no beautiful women. Whoops, sorry some of that Tennessee slang slipped out.

Well back to the real purpose for this e-mail. As I was saying, I left the over-protective arms of my mom and fell victim to the "Paddling Machine” of the Principle of James Hurst Elementary School. Well as we all found out later in life there was no Santa Claus and there was no such thing as a “Paddling Machine”. But now there was a baby Jesus and fortunately for a whole lot of us Admirals there was “a such thing” as a very real and wonderful principal we all knew as “Mr. Peterson”. This wonderful man that God blessed us with gave 35 years to the development of many a young man and young lady during those most critical and fearful and very impressionable years, those very first years away from the safety of our moms. Mr. Peterson along with the assistants and the wonderful teachers he had chosen helped prepare every student that were blessed to have walked the halls of James Hurst Elementary to become the very best Admirals possible to later walk the halls of Cradock High.

Mr. Peterson deserves to be recognized for his wonderful contribution to the community of Cradock for his 35 years of service to the Portsmouth Public School System and by all means I feel deserves a place among our fallen Admirals and our fallen Heroes. Let’s honor both this wonderful man and the wonderful lady that stood behind him for all those years, Mr. and Mrs. Albert F. Peterson.

Clifford Mann 67