Leo T. “Pete” Peterson. formerly of Salado and aged 88, passed away November 12, 2008 in Cibolo, Texas. He was interred at Fort Sam Houston on Nov. 21.

He was born in Madison, Wisconsin on May 14, 1920 to Edward Walter Mayer and Mary Agnes Kehl, both of whom were form Wisconsin. His given name at birth was Leo Thomas Mayer.

His only sister, Carolyn, was born two years later. Shortly after her death, the family was separated due to the presumed death of Edward Walters Mayer.

After Mayer’s death, Leo was raised in an orphanage for a period of time, while his sister lived with another relative.

His mother later married William “Bill” Peterson. She reunited with her two children and she and her new husband raised the children.

Leo called himself Leo T. Peterson, and was known to family and friends as “Pete.” He legally had his name changed from Leo Thomas Mayer to Leo Thomas Peterson in 1977.

He married Lorraine E. Roinestad on June 21, 1941. The couple had five children before their divorce in 1986: Sheryl Russell, of Salado; Thomas “Tom” Peterson, of San Antonio; Virginia Robertson, of Jewett; Deborah Leonard, of Nacogdoches; and Susan Peterson, who died in infancy.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and transferred to the U.S. Air Force in 1944, where he served as a command pilot with 4,000 hours in flight, flying 30 B-17 missions ETO. He was honorably discharged in 1964.

He earned a B.A. in Economics from Notre Dame in 1958. After a 22 year military career, he became a stock broker for almost two decades before retiring in 1982. 

He is survived by his children and former wife.