Shirley Earnestine Peterman

Shirley Earnestine Peterman passed away on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Parkside Assisted Living in Rolla, Missouri. She was 87 years old.
Shirley Earnestine Davis was born on July 25, 1938, in rural Maries County, Missouri to George E. and Ethel Mae (Dugmanics) Davis. She married James Edwin "Jim" Peterman on August 17, 1957 in Rolla. Jim preceded Shirley in death on January 26, 2016.
Shirley grew up in Maries County, attending the one-room Davis School. She attended and graduated high school in Rolla in 1956. She worked many different jobs in her lifetime including Sam's Tire, Phelps County Regional Medical Center, and the cafeterias at the Rolla Public Schools. Shirley loved her vegetable garden, flower garden and enjoyed canning every summer and was always out on the farm finding blackberries, gooseberries, walnuts and wildflowers. She and Jim also loved going to auctions, flea markets, antique stores and wherever she could find her blue cornflower Corning Ware and Campbell's Soup. After Jim passed, she would attend estate sales and antique stores with her children.
Shirley lived on their farm, North of Rolla, since 1962. She and Jim moved there from Rolla and made their home there for over 60 years.
Shirley is survived by her daughter, Jeanie Alexander of Brumley, Missouri; son, Steven D. Peterman and Becky, his wife of Vienna, Missouri; Sharon L. Rowden of Rolla, Missouri; Dennis A. Peterman and Julie, his wife of Westphalia, Missouri; and daughter-in-law, Katy (Brinkley) Peterman, widow of James Keith Peterman, of Jerome, Missouri. Grandchildren, Michael Alexander and Ashleigh, his wife; Shane Alexander; Amanda (Alexander) Barton, and her husband, James; Derek Peterman and Ginger, his wife; Kevin Peterman; Miranda (Peterman) Luebbert, and Alex, her husband; Makayla Peterman and significant other, Tanner Myers; Amber (Rowden) Whitaker; and Zane Peterman. She is also survived by 14 great grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived her sister, Betty M. Davis, of Vichy, Missouri.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, James E. "Jim" Peterman, her son, James Keith Peterman, great grandson, Connor Peterman, a son-in-law, David Alexander, her sister, Marilyn (Davis) Seidel, and her brother, George E. Davis, Jr.
A funeral service for Shirley E. Peterman will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at the Null and Son Funeral Home in Rolla. Interment will take place at the Davis Cemetery, rural Maries County, Missouri. A visitation for family and friends will be held prior to the service beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions in Shirley's name are suggested to the Davis Cemetery.