Rufus "Lad" Peterson III

Rufus (Lad) Peterson, III October 23, 1959 - October 3, 2004 COLUMBUS, GA - Mr. Rufus (Lad) Peterson, III, 44, of 6606 Playfield Drive, Columbus, died Sunday, Oct. 3 at his residence. Funeral services will be held 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at Mt. Herman Baptist Church in Lanett, Ala., with Rev. Louis Upshaw, Rev. Arthur Jackson and Rev. John Fredrick officiating. Burial will follow in Pine Hill Cemetery (West Shawmut Community), according to Unity Mortuary, Valley, Ala. The family may be contacted at the home of Mary Lee Peterson, 1760 19th Street, Lanett, AL 334-576-3951. Mr. Peterson was born Oct. 23 in Chambers County, Ala., the son of Mary Lee Peterson of Lanett and the late Rufus Peterson, Sr. Other than his father, he was predeceased by his father-in-law, Issac Evans; his grandparents, Amos and Mattie F. Robinson, Rufus and Mae Ben Peterson, Sr.; and a niece, Liakia Peterson. Survivors other than his mother include his wife, Veronica D. Peterson; three sons, Travis Evans, Cedrick Peterson and Tyron Peterson, all of Columbus; a daughter, Umeco Shantel Peterson of Columbus; a brother, Gregory (Peggy) Peterson of Lanett; four sisters, Gloria Peterson of Lanett, Mattie (Gene) Lewis of Columbus, Corinne (Edward) Simmons of Louisville, Ky., and Madie (Stephen) Huguley of Lanett; a special sister, Carolyn Bailey of West Point, Ga.; a special nephew, Demetric M. Peterson of Columbus; a mother-in-law, Verna Evans of Columbus; two brothers-in-law, Michael Evans and Vincent Evans, both of Columbus; nephews, Montego Sherrell, Gregory Peterson II, Julius Carreker, and Jimmy Peterson, all of Lanett, Calvin Peterson of Valley, Ala., James Ivan (Trina) Peterson of Phenix City, Ala., Edward Simmon Jr., of Louisville, Jareko Peterson of Atlanta, Ga., and Kardrecus Peterson of Lanett; nieces, Tinika (Nick) Madden of Valley, Tremeka (Jaruis) Cooper of LaGrange, Ga., Reshandra Peterson of Louisville and Tsuyko Peterson of Atlanta, Ga.; aunts, Hattie Mae Harris of Detroit, Mich., Helen (Clayton) Blue of Phenix City and Catherine Peterson of Detroit; a special aunt, Mae Lizzie Fears of Lanett; great aunts, Izora Penn of Atlanta and Ada L. Howard Johnson of Lanett; and a great uncle, Green Howard Cincinnati, Ohio; and a very special and close friend, Gary Shepard of Valley.