Larry Peters

Lawrence W. Peters, Jr., age 84, of New Prague, died peacefully in his sleep after a brief illness on Friday, May 5, 2023, at St. Gertrude’s Health and Rehabilitation Center. Larry was born on October 4, 1938, on the family farm in St. Benedict to Lawrence M. and Margaret D. (Lucas) Peters. He attended St. Benedict Parochial School and graduated from Jordan High School. He entered the US Army Reserves and during his service, he met and married the woman who captured his heart for the rest of his life, Juanita A. Mach. They married at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church on September 2, 1961. Larry worked for 45 years for Kraus-Anderson, starting as a laborer and working his way up to retiring as a general superintendent. He was well respected and loved by his co-workers, working on projects such as the Canterbury Downs Grandstand, the Dain Bosworth Plaza in Minneapolis, the IBM plant in Tucson and many other large projects nationwide. After retirement, he enjoyed a part-time job driving for Busch Brothers Machining.

Larry was always positive and his glass always half full. He made it a point to recognize all of his caregivers and the staff who took care of him while in hospice, making sure they knew they were appreciated. He was generous in both his time and spirit to his friends and family. Juanita and his family were the center of Larry’s world. The family made many road trips to Arizona after having spent a year and a half there while working on the IBM project. He and Juanita especially enjoyed trips to Branson, MO. He loved taking his grandchildren fishing and was looking forward to taking them tubing this summer. He was an avid fisherman and thoroughly enjoyed trips to Mille Lacs, fly-in fishing trips to Canada, and many happy hours on local lakes. He belonged to several card groups, playing Sheephead and Pfeffer in local establishments and friends’ homes, and he also enjoyed meeting up with his buddies for morning coffee. Larry’s faith was an anchor, seeing him at regular attendance at St. Wenceslaus. His ready smile, his sunny outlook on life, the devotion he had for his wife, and the twinkle in his eye will be missed by all who knew him.
Larry is survived by his loving wife, Juanita of New Prague; daughters Nancy (Jon) Sparrow of Burnsville and Kristin (Hesham) Ahmed of Lakeville; grandchildren Amira and Adam; siblings Marvin (Jeanette) Peters of New Prague, Kay Tuma of Circle Pines, Dianne (Greg) Bilek of Minneapolis. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 10 AM at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church with Father Eugene Theisen officiating. Visitation will take place Monday, May 15th from 4-7 PM and Tuesday morning from 7:30-9:30 at Bruzek Funeral Home. Burial will occur at St. Wenceslaus Cemetery where military honors will be conducted by the New Prague Area Veterans Honor Guard. Lunch will follow at the KC Hall.