Steven Peterson, age 66 of Tracy, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 9, 2025 at the Prairie View Senior Living Nursing Home in Tracy. Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, November 24, 2025 at the Tracy Area Funeral Home in Tracy. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Westbrook Cemetery at a later date. Online condolences may be sent at www.stephensfuneralservice. com. Stephens Funeral Service – Tracy Area Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Steven was born at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago on August 24, 1959 to Arthur Robert and Dorothy Marie Peterson of Mt. Prospect, IL. Steven was baptized and confirmed at St. Emily Catholic Church in Mt. Prospect. His first two years of schooling were spent at St. Emily Catholic School, Mt. Prospect. He then attended the Mount Prospect Public School system, graduating in 1977 from Prospect High School. He spent his first four years at the University of Illinois in Champaign, and his last four years at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, graduating in 1985 with a degree in Doctor of Optometry.
Lynn always admired and was very proud of her husband Steven. He left the suburbs of Chicago to come to a town with no traffic lights. He came to a rural area that is eerily quiet compared to the suburbs of Chicago. What a culture shock! He had no relatives or friends nearby who could lend him a hand when he needed one. Lynn could be heard saying, “I’m extremely thankful Steven came here to a rural setting because I definitely would not venture to live in a city area under my own free will.” Steven purchased his optometry office in Tracy, and was the eye doctor there for 25 years from 1985 through 2010. At the age of 48, Steven was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. He had to sell his practice in 2011 because of his failing health, and he became a resident of Prairie View Senior Living Nursing Home in Tracy on April 13, 2018, during the horrible Friday the 13th Blizzard.
Steven’s wife Lynn would go in the evenings to Prairie View Senior Living Nursing Home and play concert music DVDs/Blu-rays and CDs. Steven loved all types of music, and when he was in college, he would take pictures of the different bands that were touring college campuses around the years of 1977 through 1981. He was an amateur photographer and would develop his own photographs that Lynn enjoyed looking through. She also enjoyed perusing through Steven’s various types of drawings. He also crafted oil paintings, which Lynn liked displaying throughout their house.
Steven had a unique, shy, and quiet personality. He was patient, loving, kind, gentle, caring, and easygoing with charming, humorous wit.
Steven met Lynn Annette Nelson of Westbrook on July 14, 1989 while ushering at the “Fragments of a Dream” outdoor pageant located one mile west of Walnut Grove. That evening, Lynn, being a head usher, asked the ushers their names. Steven was the last in line and said, “Steven.” Lynn said, “I should remember that because Steven is the name of my brother.” Steven’s reply was, “Yes, but I am not your brother.” Lynn fell instantly in love with Steven, who was not her brother and would often remark, “You meet the best of men in cow pastures.” You could also hear Lynn say, “Steven is an excellent eye doctor and an even better husband.” They became engaged to be married on September 9, 1990, at 9 p.m. (9/9/90 at 9 p.m.) on the shores of Lake Shetek. They were united in marriage on May 4, 1991, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Westbrook.
By choice, no children were born to Steven and Lynn. They did not want to spend their days worrying about children and grandchildren.
Steven was forever thankful to have Lynn as his wife. Lynn has a unique, outgoing, magnetic personality with a good sense of humor. Some might even say she has a big imagination. Lynn loves reading all types of books and thoroughly enjoys looking at beautifully illustrated or silly rhyming children’s picture books. Steven was a man of few words. He would always say to Lynn, “The least said, the better.” Lynn would totally agree with him and then went right on talking. Steven made meals that were always mouth-watering and delicious, and Lynn enjoyed every morsel. Steven would say, “Spouses should add up to 100%.” When Steven and Lynn were together, they did add up to 100%, and home was being with each other. What one spouse would lack, the other would complete.
In some ways, Steven and Lynn were opposites. Steven would contemplate on his wording before he spoke. Lynn would immediately speak her thoughts. Steven was quiet and reserved; Lynn was talkative and outgoing. Steven was extremely intelligent but never caused Lynn to feel less intelligent. In other ways, they were alike. They shared a similar sense of humor, similar interests in books, movies, and music and pieced together many jigsaw puzzles. They enjoyed similar types of food and could be found dining at the following restaurants: Mexican, Italian, Indian, Greek, German, Chinese, American Steak Houses, and fast food. Most of all, they enjoyed each other’s company over being with any other person. They enjoyed roaming around Sioux Falls, SD, on the weekends, but rarely went on vacations and always very short vacations of no more than three days in succession. Steven was never comfortable leaving his practice for too long. Most importantly, their thoughts and values were very similar.
Steven is survived by his wife Lynn. He is also survived by his siblings: Kathy (Phil) Bloch of Chicago, IL, Wayne (Sue) Peterson of Morristown, MN, Joanne (Russ) Peters of Red Wing, MN, Cheryl (Chris) Miller of Belper, England, United Kingdom, Lynn (Shawn) McDonald of West Dundee, IL; brother-in-law and sister-in-law: Steven and Jan Nelson of Westbrook, MN; many nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces and great-nephews. Steven is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Robert and Dorothy Marie Peterson and father-in-law and mother-inlaw, Dale Rodney and Norma Mavis Nelson.
Because of Jesus, who became “The Christ,” Steven and Lynn will never truly be separated and will be in love with each other forever. Amen!
