The Petersen Family

Peter and Emilie Petersen were married in Racine in 1910. They had four sons.

Ed was born in 1913. As a young man Ed worked at the J.I. Case plant. Looking for more steady work, he moved to Passaic, New Jersey in the early 1940's to work at Wright Aeronautical, the aircraft company founded by the Wright Brothers. He and his wife Rose had four children. A union leader, Ed was badly beaten during a labour dispute in the late 1940s and never recovered. He died in 1951 at the age of 35.

Rudy was born in Racine in 1915. He and his wife Ann also moved to Passaic, N.J. to work at Wright. He suffered from a hearing impairment throughout his life. Drafted in the war, his disability was only recognized after several weeks of basic training and he was discharged. Rudy lived in Passaic for the rest of his life, raising one son. He died in 2007 shortly after his 92nd birthday.

Paul Petersen was born in Racine in 1921. He joined the Navy in August of 1940, but was discharged in June of 1941 after he was hospitalized for rheumatic fever and a heart condition. After the attack on Pearl Harbour, Paul attempted to rejoin the Navy, the Army, Air Force and Marines but, in spite of a brief period in the Army, was always considered medically unfit for active service. Now 86, he and his wife Millie live in Berkeley, California. They have two children.

The image below is a 1928 family portrait. From left to right - Vic, Peter, Paul, Emilie, Rudy. Ed is standing behind Paul.