Edited Friday, September 5, 2025 at 11 a.m. to include funeral service information.
Etowah County is mourning the death of Peter Valjean Gregerson, Sr. who died September 3, 2025.
The Gregerson family name is well respected in Etowah County, thanks in no small part to the family patriarch Gregerson, Sr. He is mostly widely known for his founding of Gregerson’s Foods, Inc., in 1969 and his work in erecting the Spirit of American Citizenship monument in Gadsden in the late 1990s.
Gregerson received recognition for his local contributions earlier this year. The City of Gadsden, alongside Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford, declared May 27, 2025, “Mr. Peter Gregerson Day” within the city.
During the May 27, 2025, city council meeting, State Rep. Mark Gidley presented Gregerson with a joint resolution from the state delegation. Rep. Mack Butler, Rep. Craig Lipscomb, Sen. Andrew Jones and the Alabama legislature both House and Senate also recognized the Golden Rule Anti-Bullying program and Gregerson’s contributions to the community and education.
“You are talking about a man that has impacted Gadsden and his entire community,” Rep. Mack Butler said at the May 2025 Gadsden city council meeting. “You talk about a life well lived. There is none better than Peter Gregerson.”
Gregerson’s life well lived involves charitable leadership — including serving as the president of American Heart Association, Gadsden Rotary, United Way of East Alabama and Salvation Army.
Gregerson is also known for his book entitled “The Golden Rule, The Best Way to Live.” The book serves as a guide for how to treat people that follows the age-old principal known as the Golden Rule, which states “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”
“The more that we can promote the idea to treat other people the way you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes,” Gregerson said at the May 27, 2025, City of Gadsden council meeting. “And when that idea seeps into the mind, you can’t believe, it’s so good, it’s so right. It’s so evidently powerful and the way it can change lives. It makes a difference.”
Gregerson’s life is a testament to making a difference. In addition to serving a president of various charitable organizations, he also previously served as president of the Gadsden/Etowah County Chamber of Commerce and the Gadsden-Etowah Industrial Development Authority. He also served on the board of the Alabama Power Company and as chairman of the Gadsden State Community College Endowment Campaign.
Gregerson’s contributions to society have been celebrated numerous times throughout his life. According to his personal website, Gregerson was selected as Alabama’s “Outstanding Civic Leader” by the National Society of Fundraising Executives in 1992, and later as “Gadsden’s Most Influential Citizen” as voted by the local citizenry. He was one of Gadsden’s original “Pillars of Gold” recipients, was chosen by the Veterans Association to their “Patriots Hall of Fame” and was awarded the “Medal of Honor” by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The National Grocers Association awarded him “The Sprit of America” award and later their most prestigious award, “The Great American.”
In October 2024, Gadsden State Community College’s police department, led by Gregerson’s grandson police Chief Jay Freeman, and Gadsden City Schools partnered with Gregerson to create the Golden Rule Anti-Bullying Program. The program is geared to fifth graders and encourages participants to reflect on the importance of kindness. The program breaks down Gregerson’s book into actionable strategies and presents those to the students in a series of school assemblies.
Beyond the life lessons Gregerson wrote about, Freeman shared that he taught him the importance of hard work.
“When I turned 16, I wanted a car, and my grandfather told me that if I could save $500, he would help me get a vehicle,” Freeman said. “So, I worked all summer pumping gas at Speedy’s in Rainbow City until I had the money. He and my uncles helped me purchase my first car, but he made sure I understood the lesson: ‘You will understand the value of a work ethic, and nobody will ever hand you anything—you will work for it.’ That was the kind of example he set, and it has stayed with me my entire life.”
Beyond what Gregerson has accomplished for his community, he is also known for his dedication to his family. He and his wife Janet shared 73 years of marriage together before her death in September of 2024. Together they parented seven children and watched their family grow with 23 grandchildren, 20 chosen grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, six chosen great-grandchildren and one great great-grandchild.
“Our prayers are with the Gregerson family during this difficult time,” Ford said. “Mr. Gregerson had an enormous positive influence in Gadsden over the years as a successful businessman that employed hundreds of people, a prominent civic leader, and a role model for our community. I’ll always remember him when I think about the Golden Rule because he was constantly encouraging people to treat others with kindness and respect.”
A visitation will be held at First Baptist Church of Gadsden on Saturday, September 13 at 1 p.m. A funeral service will follow at 3 p.m.
