Evelyn Doris Melton Peterson, 98, passed away on August 4, 2023 at the Oakcrest Retirement Center from macular degeneration and other natural causes. She maintained her personal pleasures of music, reading and cross-stitch embroidery until her loss of eyesight.

She was born on April 17, 1925 at her grandparent's home in Kirkland, IL to Loraine Utley Melton and Bertha Luella (Greenhow) Melton.

Evelyn enjoyed a long secretarial career, having first established herself at the John Oster Manufacturing Co., before she graduated from high school.  Following graduation from the Genoa Twp High School in 1943, she resumed employment at Oster's.  After working for a year and a half to save for her education, Evelyn started at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA in Sept. of 1944.  It was there that she majored in elementary music education.  her resources ran out and since student loans did not exist at the time, Evelyn was forced to leave college and resume employment with the goal of going back eventually to finish her degree.  One job led to another but Evelyn always cherished the time she had spent in college.  She went on to work for Clark Countryman and Ray Peterson, Fischer and Goodson, U.S. senator, Hugh Scott (R), PA, Covington and Burling and finally for the Deputy County Clerk of Yavapai County, AZ.

She married Robert Peterson on May 21, 1955 at Bordman Chapel First Methodist Church in DeKalb, IL.

Evelyn was preceded by her husband, Robert; her grandparents; her parents; 3 sisters, Louise Helen Melton, Ruth Crocker, and Lois Crook; brother, Raymond Louis Melton; sister-in-law, Judith Moore Melton; double-first cousin, Betty Greenhow Luepkes; several nieces, nephews and other extended family.

She is survived by two brothers, Earl Melton (his children, Stephen, James and William) of Roscoe, IL and Russell Melton (Patricia Louis, and their children, Alan, Cynthia and Becky) of Belvidere, IL; Brother-in-law, Joe Crocker of Rogersville, TN and his children, Julie and Nancy; and Lois's five children, Karen, Tracey, Kathy, Jeff, and Charles; cousin, Larry Wilson of Sycamore, IL; and sister-in-law, Inez Chapman Melton (her children, Tonda and Bret).

Her visitation will be on Saturday, August 12th from 10:00-11:00 AM at the First United Methodist Church, 2501 N. Annie Glidden Road, DeKalb, IL.   The funeral service will begin at 11:00 AM at the Church.

Final burial will be at the Wayside Cemetery in Frederick, SD.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation (www.macular.org) or to the First United Methodist Church of DeKalb, IL in care of the Butala Funeral Home, 1405 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, IL. 60178.

To sign the online guest book, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com