Peter Luther Press

PETER PRESS MUSCATINE, Iowa - Peter Luther Press, 52, of Muscatine, died believing in Jesus, the world's Savior, and was called to his home in heaven on Sunday morning, November 30, 2008, at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf. A Christian funeral service will be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2008, at 1:00 p.m., at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 2611 Lucas Street, with The Reverend Brian Saunders officiating. Relatives and friends may call to pay their respects at the church from 11:00 am until service time. The Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to a trust set up for Peter's children: the Press Children's Trust. Peter was born in Mobridge, South Dakota, on October 27, 1956, the son of Pastor Phillip K. and Christiana Peters Press, and was born again in the waters of Holy Baptism on November 11, 1956. He was confirmed in the Lutheran faith on March 22, 1970. After attending Lutheran grade schools, Peter graduated from Michigan Lutheran Seminary, a boarding school, in 1974. He also attended Northwestern Lut...[more]

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an College in Watertown, Wisconsin, and Dr. Martin Luther King College in New Ulm, Minnesota, before joining the U.S. Army. Peter received two diplomas in Russian language studies from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, before serving in Europe. He served in the Army from 1976 - 1981. He married Marie Wilkes on May 12, 1984, in Glendale, Arizona. After returning from the Army, Peter received a Bachelor's degree in Music Performance from Arizona State University. He received both his Masters degree in Music Performance and a Masters degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1993. Peter became Director of Dodgeville Public Library in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, after graduating from library school. From there he also served as Library Director in Faribault, Minnesota; Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania; the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut; and finally at Musser Public Library in Muscatine, from 2001 until he retired in 2007. Peter is survived by his wife of 24 years, Marie; four beautiful children, Katherine Voss of Augusta, Georgia, Abigail Press of Muscatine, Emily Press of Muscatine, and Jasper Press of Muscatine; one special granddaughter, Aden Voss; his mother, Christiana Press of Surprise, Arizona; two brothers Paul Press and wife, Suzanne, of Horicon, Wisconsin, and Tom Press and wife, Carolyn, of Surprise, Arizona; three sisters Susan Lewallen and husband, Michael, of Camas, Washington, Christine Brenner and husband, James, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Anne Press of Goodyear, Arizona; and many other friends, relatives, and loved ones. Peter was preceded in death by his father in 1988.