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Dean was born in Rosholt, South Dakota, May 11, 1925, to Clarence and Mabel Peterson. He received his under graduate degree from Luther College and Gustavus Adolphus College and Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois, at Augustana Lutheran Seminary. He then earned a master degree in Theology from Luther Seminary and met Elaine at Gustavus Adolphus College. They married while he was at seminary.
Dean interned in Deland, Florida.
After ordination, Dean and Elaine traveled by ship, which took six weeks, to Tanganyika as missionaries for the Augustana Lutheran Mission. From 1952 to 1959 he worked in central Tanzania as a parish pastor, then from 1959 to 1974 taught at Makumira Theological Seminary near Arusha in northern Tanzania.
From 1972 to 1973, during furlough in the U.S., Dean taught at Gustavus Adolphus College and was interim chaplain. From 1973 to 1988 he developed and wrote the lessons for a theological education by extension course for evangelists of the Tanzanian Lutheran and Catholic Church. From 1988 to 1989 he spent a year in Minneapolis doing deputation.
During this time, Dad was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College.
Dean retired in1989 and has lived at the Peterson Ujamaa Farm north of Bonners Ferry.
He is preceded in death by siblings Marvin, Evelyn, Murl, Lucille, Mick, Leslie and Ardys.
He is survived by his wife Elaine, four children and 10 grandchildren: Daudi and wife Trude and children Dean and Mika; Becky and husband Steve and children Jacob (wife Sally) and Erik; Thad and wife Robin and children Zac, Simon and Jessica; Mike and wife Lisa and children Joshua, Sophia (husband Lachlan) and Anne.