Charles Peterson of Rockford, Illinois, passed away Friday, March 13, 2026.  He was born in Moline, Illinois, the son of Elmer Carl and Elizabeth Othelia (Edmund) Peterson. He married Lois Jean Lauersen on March 2, 1957.  They graduated from Luther Academy, Wahoo, Nebraska in 1955.  Charles graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois in 1960.  He worked as a carpenter for C.E. Peterson Sons Construction Company until work gave out in a small recession.  He worked several jobs before starting a 35-year career in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1962, working in Detroit, Michigan, Cleveland, Ohio and Rockford, Illinois as an investigator. He retired in 1997.  

Pursuing his passion for flying, he earned his private pilot’s license in 1996 under the tutelage of Elroy Hilbert.  Charles built and flew two amateur built certified aircraft, a Quad City Challenger II and an Oshkosh Sonex, as well as an ultralight Kitfox Lite.  He was proud to have built the Sonex from scratch and taken all three aircraft on their “maiden flights.”  Charles was an active member of the national and local Chapter 22 Experimental Aircraft Association and the Rockford Model A and T Clubs.  

Charles was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Moline and active in their churches in Moline, Detroit, Cleveland and Rockford, serving as a Sunday School teacher and council member.  

He and Lois bought their farm in 1976 and ran a cut-your-own Christmas Tree farm until 2018 when they moved to Wesley Willows, Rockford, Illinois.

Charles is survived by:  his wife, Lois; two sons, Craig (Gail, deceased) of Hampton, Virginia, and Timothy (Eunice) of O’Fallon, Illinois and daughter Ellen (John) Rendle of Milton, Delaware, grandchildren, Heather, Carl (Margaret) and Philip (Drocelle) Peterson and Kathleen Jones, Eric (Samrita) and Rebecca Peterson, Jennifer (Brandon) Franks and Amy (Brandon) Emerson, 14 great-grandchildren, sister Anne (Robert) Sorensen of St. James, Minnesota.  He was predeceased by his parents, and brothers, John (Marjorie) and Russell (Carolyn) Peterson of Moline, IL.  

A public memorial service will be held at Wesley Willows Auditorium on Mar. 28th at 10:30.  A private service will be held at a later date at Scandinavian Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to First Evangelical Church (Rockford or Moline, Illinois), to Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois or Midland (c/o Luther Academy) College, Fremont, Nebraska.  To share a memory or condolence please visit www.olsonfh.com.

Source: https://www.olsonfh.com/obituaries/Charles-Daniel-Peterson?obId=47746128