SMITH CENTER – Wendell W. Peterson, age 82, passed away on Friday August 11, 2017 at the Smith County Memorial Hospital in Smith Center. Wendell was born the son of Arlie & Anna (Noble) Peterson on May 29, 1935 in Smith County, KS.
He was a 1953 graduate of Smith Center High School. He was a proud Redmen through and through, being senior team captain of football, played basketball and ran track. He was elected student body president and was in stucco all four years being president his senior year. Wendell was an eagle scout as a young man. He was also a member of the United Methodist Church in Smith Center, KS. He attended Kansas State University until 1955 when he came home to help his father at Peterson motors and his mother at The Dairy Center and Pete’s Restaurant. He married Alice Watson in 1955, they later divorced. He later married Jonette Losh in 1988. The restaurant closed in July of 1970, later that year Arlwin Manufacturing was opened and he continued to work in the family business until his retirement in 2014.
He was preceded in death by his parents Arlie & Anna; a brother Gayle; mother in law Dorothy Rody; son in law Mark Howard; and mother of his children Alice (Watson) Nedrow.
Wendell is survived by his wife Jonette of the home; a son Steve (Marcia) of Lebanon, KS; 3 daughters Vicki Howard of Salina, KS, Cindy Chambers of Olathe, KS and Kim Peterson of Atlanta, GA; three stepsons Neil (Brenda) Losh of Concordia, KS, Dr. Troy (Jayna) Losh of Wichita, KS and Dr. Todd (Toni) Losh of Wichita, KS; a step mother Coleen Peterson of Smith Center, KS; 8 grandchildren, Anthony (Sherelle) Peterson of Lebanon, KS, Ashley Boerner (Ben) of Los Angeles, CA, Stephanie (Chris) Combes of Atlanta, GA, Joe Reinert of Salina, KS, Jamie Chambers of Olathe, KS, Jason Chambers of Olathe, KS, Ischa & Blaze Losh of Wichita, KS ; 9 step grandchildren, Foster, Hayden & Emma Losh of Concordia, KS, Brandon Losh of Cherryvale, KS, Holly Losh of Independence, KS, Heather & Dallas Poe of Altamont, KS, Christopher Howard of Wichita, KS, Dillon Urban of South Carolina and 9 great grandchildren.
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