Matthew "Matt" Arnold Peters

Matthew “Matt” Arnold Peters, age 63, of St. Peter passed away on Sunday, February 6 at Abbot Northwestern Hospital. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m., on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at the Catholic Church of St. Peter. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m., on Friday February 11, 2022 at the church, and will continue one hour prior to the service on Saturday.  Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, St. Peter. St. Peter Funeral home is in charge of the arrangements. www.saintpeterfuneralhome.com

This strong, loving, and wonderful man has left a permanent mark on our hearts and will be immensely missed by his wife and best friend of 35 years JoEllen (O’Connor) and his children Brian (Katrin) and Kim (Mike).

Family was the center of Matt’s life. He was proud to be a husband, father and grandfather and has been a major presence in the lives of his children and grandchildren.

He cherished his role of grandfather to Wyatt, Logan, Taylor and Sophia. He was an avid reader and loved to share his passion for hunting and shooting.

Born on April 1, 1958 to Marlin & Henrietta (Kaiser) Peters in Waseca, Matt spent his life as a hardworking, dedicated, and loving man. He was the oldest of four children - Mark, Mary (Walt) and Mike (Julie). 

Matt graduated from the University of South Dakota which led to a 42-year career in law enforcement.  He began at the National Forest Service in the Black Hills, before spending 8 years as a Deputy Sheriff with the Custer County Sheriff’s Department.  After meeting and marrying his wife, JoEllen, they moved to Janesville, MN where Matt was Chief of Police for 11 years. While in Janesville, Matt attended the FBI National Academy, a significant highlight in his career.  In 1998, Matt became the Chief of Police for the Saint Peter Police Department, where he spent the next 22 years before retiring in May 2021.

Throughout his storied career, Matt was a leader and mentor to many in law enforcement.  He worked closely with the Saint Peter Regional Treatment Center, was a board member of the MN River Valley Drug Task Force and the River Valley Tactical Team.  Matt was a strong advocate for training and education.

He is survived by his loving wife, JoEllen Peters of St. Peter, MN; children, Brian Wood (Katrin) of Colorado Springs, CO and Kim Anderson (Mike) of Spicer, MN; grandchildren, Wyatt and Logan Anderson, and Taylor and Sophia Wood; siblings, Mark Peters of Windsor, CO, Mary Mobley (Walt) of Prescott Valley, AZ and Mike Peters (Julie) of Waseca, MN; and a host of nieces, nephews and other beloved friends and family. Matt was preceded in death by his parents, Marlin and Henrietta (Kaiser) Peters; and sister-in-law, Jenny Peters.

For those who wish, memorial donations in memory of Matt may be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. https://t2t.org/