Deborah C. Bjelajac, 69, of Burlington, passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at the Brookside Care Center in Kenosha.
Deborah was born Nov. 10, 1950, to Carl and Frances (nee Bowman) Peterson in Waterloo, Iowa. Her early life was spent in Iowa, where she graduated from High School and then the University of Northern Iowa. On Sept. 28, 2000, she was united in marriage to John Bjelajac, on her horse ranch in the Town of Norway.
Deborah was an accomplished person of many interests. She was, over the years, an executive for several Fortune 500 Companies, in the area of corporate payroll, an Adjunct History Professor, for several colleges and universities throughout the nation, a skilled horsewoman, showing her horses in horse shows throughout the Midwest, and a published author, with her biography on Fredric March, under her maiden name Deborah Peterson, titled “Fredric March: Craftsman First, Star Second” (Greenwood Press 1996). Of special interest to the family, Katherine Hepburn was one of her interviewees for this book.
`Deborah is survived by her loving husband of 19 years, John, a sister Cynthia Fisher of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother-in-law Roger Fisher.
Inurnment will take place in Iowa, at a future date, in a celebration of her life.
Deborah’s family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the medical staff of the Transplant Team at St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee, and to the staff at the Brookside Care Center in Kenosha, for their care and compassion.
Deborah…an eternal and a very loving embrace with you, for being such a beautiful part of our lives.
Schuette-Daniels Funeral is serving the family. Well-wishers may visit www.danielsfamilyfuneral.com.
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