Melvin Lester Peterson

Melvin Lester Peterson, also known as Smilely by friends and family, passed away at his home in Lesterville at the age of 66 on March 21, 2025. He was thankful to be at home surrounded by family during his final days.

Visitation will be 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a 7 p.m. prayer service, Monday, March 24 at Goglin Funeral Home in Yankton.

Visitation will resume 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 25, followed by the 10:30 a.m. funeral.

Interment will be held at a later date.

Melvin was born in Yankton, SD on May 29th, 1958 to Richard Elwood Peterson and Vera Alice (Baker) Peterson. Melvin completed 9th grade in Lesterville and then began working full time on the family farm. He worked on a construction crew installing main water lines for B-Y Water, was a farm hand for local farmers, worked at Cimpl’s for 14 years and then he retired.

Melvin met the love of his life while hanging out with her brother, Kevin. Cathy was 15 when they met and it wasn’t until 10 years of dating had passed that they tied the knot. Melvin Peterson and Cathy Sage were married at the First United Methodist Church in Yankton, May 20th, 1989.

A few things that Melvin loved were farming, raising crops and livestock, farrowing sows, butchering, working on cars, tractors and just building things by hand. Melvin took so much pride in his first car - a 1965 LTD 2 door hardtop, which he named White Lightning. He also enjoyed mud runs, pickup pulls, demo derbies and car shows. He took a lot of pride in planting and harvesting the gardens on the farm and being able to can the produce. Anytime his family went to fairs, he always was the first to jump in the bumper cars. Melvin loved grilling for family get-togethers. His favorites were barbecued chicken and steaks with zucchini and eggplant. He loved going to his kids’ sports games and he loved family game nights and drinking coffee until 2 a.m. Melvin enjoyed fishing with his kids on the stock dam bank in his pasture and going to farm shows with his family, including grandchildren. The Black Hills and Colorado were his favorite places for family vacations.

Melvin’s 5 grandkids were his pride and joy. He loved giving four-wheeler and tractor rides in the pasture. Melvin was famous for being the “tickle monster.” He was always playing and coloring with the grandkids if the weather wasn’t nice enough to be outside. His grandkids will cherish the memories that they had with him, always wishing they were able to have more.

Melvin is survived by his wife of nearly 36 years, Cathy of Lesterville; daughter, Julie Lansdowne (Mitch) of Scotland; son, George (Caroline) of Lesterville; granddaughters, Laikyn and Braylee Lansdowne of Scotland; grandchildren, Adalynn, Emerson and Oliver Peterson of Lesterville; brother, Lloyd Peterson of Yankton; sister, Lavona Merkwan of Tyndall and many nieces and nephews.

Melvin was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Vera; sister-in-law, Cindy Peterson; brothers-in-law, Steve Merkwan and Kim Sage and mother-in-law, Merva Sage.