Daniel L. Petersen

Daniel L. Petersen, 77, passed away peacefully on September 28, 2025 at Capitol Lakes in Madison, WI.

A little time spent traveling this country, not on the big four-lane ribbons of the Interstate, but on the backroads and through the small towns, tells you that the true measure of a place isn't in its skylines or its statehouses, but in the kind of people it raises. And for Clinton, Iowa that measure was a fine one indeed, because it gave us Dan Petersen.

Dan wasn't a man who made the kind of headline news that fades before the ink dries. He was the kind of man whose quiet, steady work was the very foundation of his community and family. Born on August 13, 1948, the son of Bernadine (Kerivan) and Charles Petersen, he came from a time and a place that valued industry and commitment.

He knew a good thing when he saw it, and on August 30, 1969, he married Mary Fisher while they finished attending Northern Illinois University, and together they built a life that lasted. Now, Dan was a man who understood a balance sheet, serving as the CFO of Findorrff, keeping the books straight and the business on track. But a man’s life isn't just about ledgers and cranes. No, sir.

Dan Petersen had a boundless, infectious enthusiasm for those things that truly make a place home. He was a UW Badger fanatic—a man whose heart beat a little faster come game day, and a Varsity Band booster who knew that a little sousaphone and percussion can lift the spirit of the whole stadium.

When he wasn’t calculating debits and credits, you might find him on the fairway, wrestling with a stubborn slice, or maybe, just maybe, you’d hear the rumble of his motorcycle as he took to the open road, a man finding his own patch of blue sky. He was the last of five brothers, and you can bet that the stories and the spirit they shared are the kind of inheritance that truly matters.

He leaves behind a good, solid family: his son Mark Petersen, his wife Charlotte (Hendrickson), and their children Sage and Lars; and his son Doug Petersen, his wife Michelle (Vanston), and their children Max and Emma. That’s a legacy worth more than any corporate structure.

A life like Dan Petersen’s deserves a moment for good people to gather, share a quiet story or two, and mark his passing. A celebration of life will be held at the Cress Funeral Home (3610 Speedway Road) in Madison, Wisconsin, on October 11, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Following the service, a lunch will be held at a separate location to share more stories and memories.

It’s fitting, perhaps, that a man who understood how to manage resources so well asked that instead of flowers, folks might send a donation to The Empty Stocking Club (https://www.emptystockingclub.com) because Dan knew that true wealth is measured in how many lives you’ve touched for the better.

That's the simple truth of the matter. A good man, lived a full life, and now he's moved on. And the world is a little quieter, and a little less bright, for his leaving.