Willard H. Petersen was born in Franklin County on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1906 to Charles L. and Mary S. (Wolber) Petersen. Mr. Petersen went to Brookville High School and drove a horse and buggy five miles down Meyckne Hill to Brookville. He graduated high school in 1925 and from Anthony Wayne Institute in Fort Wayne in 1927. In 1929 he met his wife Marie, while working as a manager at Cast Stone Company in Columbus, Ohio.
Marie C. Yake was born in Marion County, Ohio on July 6, 1912 to Harvey J. and Lydia M. (Beckel) Yake. She graduated from Waldo High School in 1930 as the Salutatorian of her class. She married Willard on May 19, 1940 and returned to Franklin County, living there until 1944 when Willard began working in Indianapolis for Internal Revenue Service. He held his position there until 1956. He became head teller at People’s Bank and Trust Company in Indianapolis. He worked there until retiring in 1974. Marie worked as an audio-visual librarian at World Call Magazine until retiring in 1977. They came back to Brookville in 1978.
The Peterson’s were members of St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Farm Bureau and the Franklin County Historical Society. They had one son, Kenneth. Mr. Peterson passed away in 1995 and Mrs. Petersen in 2002.
The Willard H. and Marie C. Petersen Scholarship was established in 1999 by Marie C. Petersen to provide an annual scholarship to a graduate of Franklin County High School for the purpose of furthering his or her education.