Cal and Edna Peterson

A short bio of Cal F and Edna L Peterson, my grandparents.

Cal Peterson and Edna Neukom were married on 19 Dec 1924. Cal was 22, Edna 21.
At the time of their marriage, Cal was a clerk for Erie Railroad. Edna was a housekeeper.
Cal moved his family (at the time only baby Cal Merlin and Edna) to Indianapolis to serve as chief clerk
of the Supreme and Appellate Court of Indiana. 1926-1930.
Cal had aspirations of becoming a lawyer. At this time, serving an apprenticeship was
needed.
I suspect that the Great Depression and Edna’s eyesight played a factor in the family moving back to Decatur.
It is not confirmed, but it appears that Charles, my father, was born in Indianapolis. 1927.

The depression was hard on the young family; Cal reportedly left his family with Edna’s mother and rode rail cars to California (had family there) looking for work.
The residence at 603 Penn St. was acquired about 1930-31. Grandma Edna told me it was purchased for $300.00, and had to be financed.
Edna’s vision gradually deteriorated to the point she became blind, about 1928. She only saw two of her five sons, Cal and Charles.
Cal was the Republican precinct committeeman (1932-1956) and was a delegate to all Republican conventions from 1948-1956. He also ran the license bureau in Decatur for a number of years.
Cal was a yard conductor for Pennsylvania Railroad for most of his adult life.
Cal died in 1958 at the age of 55. Edna at the time was 54.
A railroad pension and selling brooms, door to door, were the main source of income for Edna after Cal’s death.
Edna was chosen as a Mother Of The Year in Decatur. 1959.
Edna was missionary for the Church of God, Decatur, giving motivational talks and telling her life story.
Cal was an accomplished athlete, playing baseball and basketball in high school and club teams.
Edna took care of her mother, sister and various other family members, despite being blind.
Cal’s middle name was Fuller, his mother’s maiden name.
Cal’s nickname was “Smoke”.
Story compiled by John Peterson, Charles Peterson's son and Cal and Edna Peterson's grandson.


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