Evelyn M. Peterson was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Peterson of Harcourt, Webster County, Iowa. She joined 4-H, along with her sister Lucille, as a charter member of the Lost Grove Leaders 4-H Girls' Club. The club was organized in April 1927 and throughout the next seven years Evelyn would be an active member serving as news reporter, vice president, and president. Evelyn completed a number of 4-H projects in baking, canning, clothing, and home furnishing. Her personal expense account project won second prize at the Iowa State Fair in 1932. Evelyn would devote 70 years of her life to 4-H and was posthumously inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame in 2003.

The collection (1927-1934, n.d.) contains the 4-H record book of Evelyn M. Peterson. The record book contains letters of recommendation, record books for 4-H projects, personal expense account record books and essay, club programs, lists of personal and club activities, Evelyn's 4-H story, photographs, newspaper clippings, and letters from the Webster County Home Demonstration Agent Elizabeth Peterson. Photographs in the record book are all labeled and in group photos Evelyn is clearly identified. Some loose photographs and cards that were included with the record book have been removed from the book and placed in a separate folder.

Some related collections include the Iowa 4-H Records (RS 16/3/4), the Iowa 4-H Foundation Records (RS 16/3/7), the Jessie Field Shambaugh Collection (RS 16/3/60), and the 4-H record books and papers of James Kearns (RS 16/3/66), Verneil Branstad (RS 16/3/4/51), Marie Mann (RS 16/3/4/52), Lucille Peterson (RS 16/3/4/53), and Elva Brown (RS 16/3/4/55).