• Family: Husband Andrew “Pete” Peterson, son Case (8) and daughter Zella (6)
• Hometown: Mountain Grove, Mo.
In Town: Dr. Katie Peterson is the owner and dentist at the Katie D. Peterson, DDS, PC clinic in Mountain Grove, Mo. Katie grew up in her grandfather’s dental office in her hometown. When she left for college at Missouri State, she knew she would also go to dental school. Once she completed dental school, she knew she wanted to continue her family’s legacy – serving the community with dental care. It’s still a family business – with her kids in the office at times, her mother managing the office and a cousin is her dental hygienist. Her grandfather now resides in Michigan, but is only a phone call away for professional advice.
In the Country: Katie and her husband Pete have 50 head of commercial beef cattle they raise on Peterson Ridge Farms.
“I grew up on a family dairy farm that was a partnership,” she said. “In 1993, the family dairy farm was converted to a commercial beef operation. It’s still a family partnership today.”
Katie and Pete both grew up on family farms and showed cattle in local and state fairs.
The Peterson family has raised 90 percent of their own herd. They continue to sell steers and keep heifers back.
Her children, Case and Zella, have both shown market animals at the Tri-County Fair and some jackpot steer shows. They are both eager to become involved in 4-H as they get older.
“I like having a place where we can show our kids how to work and learn valuable life lessons on the farm,” Katie said. “The farm is my therapy. Dentistry can be stressful at times and the farm work is a great way to relax.”
Katie said she loves that she was able come back to her hometown and serve all the people who supported her when she was in school.
