Cheryl Ann Ellerman Peters

Cheryl Ann Peters, of Wonder Lake, IL, died on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the age of 76, following a brief journey with cancer. She was born on December 3, 1949, in La Crosse, WI, to Catherine Knepper. Cheryl shared her birth story with pride. Although she never knew her biological father, she never felt incomplete. Cheryl spent the first six years of life in Trempealeau, WI, living in a “little pink house” with her grandparents and her mother’s siblings. In late 1956, when her mother married Clarence “Red” Ellerman, she moved to Dubuque, IA. Red adopted Cheryl and soon she took on the role of doting big sister, first to Claire and then to Charlene.

Every summer, from 1957 until 1966, Cheryl boarded a train from Dubuque to Trempealeau, spending precious time with her extended family. Trempealeau can be credited for Cheryl’s lifetime appreciation for reading (first inspired by her grandfather), fashion (recalling the adults buying her “party dresses with no party to attend”), and cake (giving credit to a bakery in Galesville).

Cheryl graduated from Dubuque Senior High School in 1968 and attended Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA, studying apparel merchandising and design. Cheryl’s first job took her to Kansas City, where she learned the role of department store purchasing. Oh, the stories she’d tell about dating in a big city! Cheryl eventually moved back to Dubuque because she missed her family and small-town living. One evening in 1974 she caught the eye of a handsome guitarist named Keith playing at the Holiday Inn. She married Keith Wayne Peters on May 13, 1975. Together, they raised two sons in Wonder Lake, IL, but often returned to Dubuque and Trempealeau, instilling the importance of family connections within their children.

Cheryl will be remembered for her impeccable fashion sense, warm personality, and vast knowledge of history, music, and current events. She maintained life-long friendships, including those that she made when employed at Charter Dura-Bar (retiring after 25 years!) and her post-retirement job at McHenry Savings Bank in Richmond. Although she was never content sitting idle, she fully retired in the fall of 2018 to become Keith’s full-time caregiver until his death in April 2019.

Cheryl was an active member of Christ the King Catholic Church in Wonder Lake and volunteered with the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She “wintered” near her sons in Iowa and filled her time visiting friends at the nursing home in Lone Tree, working out at the local gym, and honing her pickleball skills. When in Iowa, she attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Riverside and was active in a women’s Bible study. Somehow, Cheryl still had time for travel.

She and Keith loved their trips to Vegas (staying at the Luxor Hotel) and NYC (especially dining at Tavern on the Green). In 2009, she accompanied her daughter-in-law and eldest granddaughter to Germany to meet Brent mid-deployment. After Keith’s passing, Cheryl regularly scheduled trips to “keep herself busy.” She visited Washington, D.C., in an RV; celebrated a birthday at Disney World, toured Gatlinburg, Dollywood, and Pigeon Forge with Brad’s family, Ireland to commemorate her granddaughter’s high school graduation, and sailed on a Viking’s River Cruise in Europe last year celebrating Brad’s 50th birthday. Cheryl also planned many getaways with girlfriends among her most discussed include Mackinac Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, New Orleans, Florida, and a month before her passing she joined a bus tour to Louisville, KY, visiting Churchill Downs.

Cheryl unashamedly bragged about her family. She leaves behind two sons, Brad (wife Emily) of Kalona, IA, and Brent (wife Meaghan) of Nichols, IA; Grandma’s girls—Sadie, Caitlynn, and Eloise; sisters Claire Kluesner (husband Steve) and Charlene Cole (husband Tim), both of Dubuque; nieces Anna Schuster (husband Brian), Katie Cole (partner Arron Schmitt), Christin Cole, and nephew Clayton Cole (wife Maggie) and their children. Cheryl is well loved by her many cousins and countless friends across Illinois and Iowa.

A funeral mass will be held September 26, at 10:45 A.M. at Christ the King Church in Wonder Lake, IL. A celebration luncheon will follow at The Rusty Nail 4520 Ringwood Road, Ringwood, IL 60072.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Justen's Funeral Home & Crematory. For information, please contact the Funeral Home at 815-385-2400, or visit www.justenfh.com, where friends and loved ones may share memories of Cheryl on her tribute wall.