Katherine Winifred Peters

     Katherine “Kathy” Peters went to be with her Lord and Savior February 26, 2026, at Masonic Pathways in Alma, MI, at the age of 92. 
     Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, MI, on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 1:00 P.M., with Pastor Steve Swem officiating. Burial will take place at Riverside Cemetery, Elsie. Visitation will be held from 11:00 A.M. until the time of the service at the funeral home.
     Kathy was born in Brainerd, MN on March 10, 1933, the daughter of Victor and Ethel (Sjostrom) Gearey. She was an active member of Maple Hill Lutheran Church in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, prior to moving to Michigan in 1969. Subsequently, she was a member of the Elsie United Methodist Church where she was active in the United Methodist Women’s group for many years. She served for 21 years as Secretary to the Principal of the Ovid-Elsie High School before retiring. 
    She enjoyed crocheting and knitting, sending cards to people so they knew they were thought of and prayed for, and loved spending time with her family. Kathy married Robert “Bob” Peters in 2002; he predeceased her in 2019. 
     Kathy is survived by her children: Arlo (Deena) Knutson, Elsie Loynes, Loretta Winkler, and Larry Knutson (Maureen Cullen); grandchildren: Jamie (Jason) Gillespie, Heather (Eric) Coleman, Rhonda (Scott) Fauble, Ross Loynes (Ashley Johnson), Rita Loynes-Alleman (Shane Pitmon), Erik Knutson, Kelsey Knutson, Kristian (Alexis) Knutson; 16 great-grandchildren; and 6 great-great grandchildren. Kathy was preceded in death by her husband Robert Peters, son-in-law John Winkler, her parents, her 5 siblings, previous husband Mark O’Donnell, and the father of her children Edwin Knutson.
     In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Elsie Food Bank or to Macular Degeneration Research (www.brightfocus.org). Online condolences may be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Elsie, Michigan.