Thaddeus Peak November 2, 1928-September 18, 2023
Thaddeus B. Peak, 94 of Prairie du Chien, WI, passed away peacefully on Sept. 18, 2023, surrounded by family.
The youngest of three sons, Thad was born Nov. 2, 1928, to Reuben Theodore and Helen Trenary Peak, in Springfield, MO. After high school, he studied forestry at Iowa State University in Ames, IA, and spent time “out west” on lookout towers.
He proudly served in the United States Army in Japan and Korea and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. He met the love of his life (Helen “Jenny” Peak) via a photograph he saw on a fellow soldier’s desk. Thad asked him if she was his sweetheart. He said, “No, she’s my sister. Do you want to write to her?” He did, and he married her on July 28, 1951, soon after his discharge.
When he was anticipating the birth of his first child, he became concerned that he didn’t know the first thing about being a “daddy”. It started him on a path that changed his life forever as he pursued a relationship with God and received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
In 1963, he was ordained as a pastor which eventually led him to accept a full-time pastorate at Maple Ridge Bible Church in Boscobel, WI, from 1970-1984. During that time, he participated in establishing and running a Christian school for five years. He also served in summer Bible camps, vacation Bible schools, outreaches, missionary endeavors, etc. He also officiated at three of his children’s weddings.
Thad and Jenny moved to Florida and lived there for a several years before moving back to Wisconsin, settling in Prairie du Chien. For the next 20 years, he helped where he could with activities at Faith Community Church of Prairie du Chien, in prison and jail ministries, teaching Sunday school, serving on the Deacon Board, leading Bible studies, participating in Bible correspondence courses for prison inmates, preaching occasionally, and sending encouraging cards and letters to many people as well as writing poetry.
He also helped in building and maintaining several Christian radio towers across the United States from Nome, AK, to Macon, GA. Several of those towers were for radio stations originally owned by Joy Public Broadcasting and subsequently purchased by Family Life Radio, including the original one in Montfort, WI, where he served as an announcer and “DJ”. His favorite daily radio program was “Unshackled: true stories that make you face yourself and think”.
Thaddeus loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all his heart, and he loved reading his Bible. He also loved to share the good news that “God so loved the world that He gave His Son so that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” He was ready and anxious to “go home and be with Jesus.”
Thad is survived by his children Sharon (Bob) Meier, Tad (Rachel) Peak, Becky Sipla, and Molly Ford, along with seven grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews and their descendants. A special grateful acknowledgment goes to his wife’s nephew, Lance Crivellone.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his two brothers, Ralph (“Bud”) and Donald, and son-in-law Bill Sipla. He is now reunited with Jenny, his beloved wife of 69 years, who passed on before him in 2020. The family is grateful for the excellent services of our Prairie du Chien Rescue Squad, Russ Gillitzer, the medical teams at Crossing Rivers Emergency Care and Gundersen Hospital La Crosse, as well as the Garrity Funeral Home for the tremendous outpouring of support and care. We also thank Faith Community Church and Maple Ridge Bible Church for their loving support of the family. We mostly thank God for the incredibly beautiful, meaningful, precious time we had with our beloved one before he left us.
Visitation will be held on Oct. 21, from 9-11 a.m., at Faith Community Church, 1110 E. Cass Street, Prairie du Chien, WI. The Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. at the church. The Prairie du Chien Honor Guard will provide military honors. A private interment will be held later at the Maple Ridge Cemetery in Boscobel, WI. The Garrity Funeral Home of Prairie du Chien is assisting the family. www.garrityfuneralhome.com.