Varlen Cecil Peterson, 91, passed away October 15, 2018 at Valley View Villa of Fort Morgan Colorado.

Varlen was born on October 30, 1926 near Shaw Colorado (Washington County) to Alvin and Mollie (Scott) Peterson. Since Varlen was born the day before Halloween, he soon gained the name he was best known as, "Spook".   Spook had three siblings, Earl Peterson, Nadine Holder, and Betty Trim.

Spook grew up on a farm during the depression years and the dirty thirties which shaped his life and his love of the land. Spook graduated from Lindon High School in 1944 and soon thereafter was drafted into the military. He served in the 6 ^th US Army Air Corp where he was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone through the duration of WWII.

Upon his return from the service, he met and married Arvella Smith and they remained in the Lindon area where they farmed and ranched while raising their family. Spook loved working on the farm and ranch, grilling home-raised beef steak, helping friends and family, and watching old westerns on TV. He had a sharp wit and could always make a person laugh. In his youth, Spook was an exceptional athlete playing high school and then town-team basketball and baseball. He was also a practical jokester. In the fall of the year, he and some of his local friends liked to sneak into the neighbor's melon patches and make off with a few watermelons. For the most part, the neighbors took this as good-natured fun. He liked to hunt deer and elk in the mountains with close friends and family, until his knee finally gave out in 1972.

Spook is survived by one sister, Nadine Holder of Larkspur Colorado, two children, Gregory Peterson of Lindon and Rick Peterson of Rapid City, South Dakota, four grandchildren; Jessica Paquelier of Carmel Valley, California, Molly Brown, of Aurora, Colorado, Meagan Washburn of Aurora, Colorado, and Melissa Peterson of Denver, Colorado; and four great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Arvella, his brother Earl, and sister Betty.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, November 24th at 11:00 AM at Heer Mortuary Chapel in Brush.

Spook was loved and respected by many and will be truly missed.