Francis Peak

Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 18, 2009

Funeral services for Francis O. Peak, age 88, of Hollandale will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Hollandale Reformed Church. The Rev. Neal Ooms will officiate. Interment will be at the Hollandale Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. 
Francis died Thursday, July 16, 2009 at Good Samaritan Center with his wife Vera at his side.
Francis O. Peak was born on Oct. 26, 1920 to Ernest and Versa (Lyon) Peak in Logan, Kan. He grew up in Kansas and lived with his family in several locations in Kansas, Florida, Michigan and other locations before settling in Minnesota in the early 1940s. On June 25, 1944, Francis was united in marriage to Lois Peal at First Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. He worked as a carpenter for Paul Olson Construction and also farmed on the side. Lois passed away in 1981. On April 24, 1982, Francis married Vera Pierson at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Austin. He was a member of the Hollandale Reformed Church where he served as a deacon. Francis was also a member of the Carpenters Union, served on the Hollandale Cemetery Board and was on the board for the Hollandale Museum. Francis built the windmill building for the museum. In his spare time he enjoyed woodworking. Francis loved camping and fishing and was a member of the Good Sam Camping Club. Francis went on several mission trips to Kentucky and made hundreds of quilts for the church.
Survivors include his wife, Vera of Hollandale; children, George Peak of Cannon Falls, Susan (Stuart) Kringen of LeSueur, Edward (Linda) Peak of Hayward, Trudy (Robert) Ehlers of Lakefield, and Janet (Tom) Aguilera of Ellendale; grandchildren, Sandra, James, Stacy, Steve, Jeffrey, Jared, Lana, Jerry, Michael, Lori, Benjamin, Jennifer, and Christopher; 21 great-grandchildren; sisters, Wilma Noble of Austin, Alice (Willard) Spilde of Albert Lea and Twila (Fred) Norton of Salt Lake City, Utah; brother, Doug (Gert) Peak of Albert Lea and many nieces and nephews. 
Francis was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Lois; son, David; grandson, Eric; and daughter-in-law, Carol.