STANLEY - The Peterson Family Band will perform country and gospel bluegrass at the Sibyl Center in Stanley at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Hailing from rural Alamo, the Peterson Family Band consists of Arlon and Jan Peterson and their seven children: Joshua, 22 years old; Heather, 20; Benjamin, 17; Rebecca, 12; Emily, 10; Caleb, 7; and Alecia, 5.
The Petersons made their debut performing for public audiences at the Divide County Threshing Show several years ago. Since then, the Petersons have played at churches, fairs, crusades, Frozen Fingers Old Time Music Festival, Praise on the Prairie, reunions and nursing homes. Every family member participates, playing guitars, violins, mandolin, harmonica, banjo, cello, ukulele and saxophone.
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The Peterson Family Band.
Beside the small grains farm they operate, the family home-schools the children and has long enjoyed making music together. Along with performing, the family members are busy with a number of vocations and avocations. Josh farms independently and with Arlon. Heather, songwriter and pie baker, works on the family farm and at Dakota Free company of Wildrose. Ben builds mandolins and performs with one he built at age 13. Besides their home education and music lessons by their older siblings, the four younger children help with the many animals on the farm, which include goats, chickens, geese and miniature cows.
Arlon has origins in Stanley as the son of Joan Peterson Nichols, and grandson of Earl and Mary Stoner.
Admission is by a freewill donation at the door. The Sibyl Center is located at 301-1st St. SW. For more information about the event, call Linda at 628-2130 or go to (www.sibylcenter.org). Learn more about the Petersons at (www.thepetersonfamilyband.com).