April 2013 Volume 128 • Number 4

Franklin Peterson celebrates 50 years as an attorney in Kenyon
By Terri Washburn KENYON
LEADER
Second Street businesses in Kenyon
have changed a great
deal over the past 50
years, but the law
office of Franklin
Peterson has remained
a constant fixture. What
is the secret to business
longevity in a small
town?
Humor, hard work and
humanity seem to sum it
up.
Originally a farm boy
from Braham, MN,
Peterson said he had no plan
to be come an attorney until
he was out of college and
Many a laugh has come
from Frank Peterson’s Shriner
prop briefcase labeled “Attorney Illegal
Briefs”. (Terri Washburn/The Kenyon Leader)
APRIL BIRTHDAYS:
Ross Alexander • Roy Alexander • Ken Arehart • Richard
Arends • Fred Austin • Adam Barker • Tim Baudoin • Robert Bay •
John Becvar • Theodore Billy • Harold Bosshart • James Broberg •
James Brockman • Thomas Callies • Todd Cannon • Dean Carlson • Curtis
Coltrain Jr. • Donald Deringer • Philippe Deroches • Brad Drake • Thomas
Elden • Harold Erickson • P.P. Charles Ferguson • Daniel Flicek • Robert Flood •
Earl (Pete) Goodwin • L. G. 'Jerry' Goplin • Kevin Griebel • Dr. Kenneth Guidera •
Robert Gulbrandson • Daniel Hansen • Jon Haugan • Karl Haugen • Clifford
Helgeson • Ronald Hill • Robert Hoffman • Thomas Ireland • H James Jacobsen •
PP G. Robert Jagusch • Lynn Johnson • Robert Jones • Roy Jones Jr. • Steven
Keister • E Gary Klein • Peter Kloskowski • Christopher Koenig • Sean Krauss •
Glenn Kruckeberg • Arthur Kuhlman • Dennis Lacquay • Fred Lantz • Lawrence
Lauber Jr. • Donald Leslie • Warren Lynch Jr. • Dr. Ralph Magnusson • Thomas
Maine • Malcolm Mcdonald • Dennis Mecl • Dennis Mehrer • Jason Moran • Jack
Ingram Morehouse • Derald Morfitt • Byron Nelson • Melvin Neren • Milton
Olsen • Newman Olson Jr. • Buddy Overcashier • Ramond Pederson • David
Peterson • Lyle Pettey • Michael Pray • Tom Redmon • Clarence Ribar • Curt
Richter • PP Roger Robinson • John Ross • Thomas Rubenstein • Wayne
Ruhl • Jeffrey Ryan • David Sayler • Gerald Schmidt • Scott Smith • Mike
Stavros • Samuel Stee • William Rosenberg Sturtz • Roger Taylor •
Gilbert Thoele • Terry Thorvilson • Richard Tiede • David Tompsett •
Shawn Towle • Larry Tyson • Leland Walkky • Jason West •
Richard Wilson • Jerry Winnick • Robert Witt • Richard Witte
started his first real job investigating
insurance claims. He attended law
school at William Mitchell College of
Law after work, 4 nights a week. His
break came when he took over the
Kenyon law office of Ray Wahlberg in
Jan. of 1963.
Wahlberg was his law mentor, and
left Peterson with several key words of
wisdom: “If a person learns to handle
his finances and his time, he should
succeed in life,” and also “It isn’t the
money you earn that counts, it’s the
money you don’t spend that counts.”
In Kenyon, Peterson and his lively
wife Beverly raised two daughters and
a son; Heidi (Peterson) Haugen,
Heather (Peterson) Tousignant and
the Rev. Durk Peterson. They are now
blessed with seven grandchildren and
twin granddaughters.
Haugen said she remembers her
father working long hours at the
office and his membership on every
board and committee imaginable. He
seemed to have a meeting every night of
the week when I was growing up, she
said. But Haugen also has memories of
Peterson helping others.
“He would give the shirt off his back to
someone in need. Any stranger that he
would run in to that needed a meal or
gas money his wallet was always open,”
said Haugen.
Indeed, Peterson list of civic activities
is a long one. He was a member and
past officer of the Kenyon Lions Club,
and was the first president of the
Kenyon chapter of the Sons of Norway,
despite the fact that he is not
Norwegian. He has also been active in
the American Legion Baseball, School
Board, Church Council, Kenyon
Country Club and the First District Bar
Association. Peterson was Kenyon
Citizen of the Year in 1993, and
WCCO Good Neighbor in Oct. 1993,
BLACK CAMEL
■ Richard Tiede 3/7/13
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