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Virginia Marie (Glotfelty) Peterson
Sterling resident Virginia Marie (Glotfelty) Peterson died
peacefully, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at the Central Peninsula General Hospital in
Soldotna. She was 81.
Per the family's request, no services will be
held.
Mrs. Peterson was born July 1, 1922, in Spirit
Lake, Idaho, to Henry and Lola Glotfelty. They lived in several places in Idaho
throughout her childhood and early teen years. She met Marvin Peterson when she
was 17 in Pinehurst, Idaho, and they were married in Kellogg, Idaho. They stayed
there, and Mr. Peterson worked in the sawmill and silver mines.
Their daughter, Phyllis, was born in 1940, and
when the war broke out, Mr. Peterson joined the U.S. Army Transport Service and
was sent to the Aleutian Islands.
Mrs. Peterson drove a taxicab in Kellogg, and
Phyllis stayed with an aunt and uncle in Priest River. When Mr. Peterson
returned, they remodeled their home, which burned in December 1945. After this
tragedy, they decided to move to northern California. Mr. Peterson worked for
J.T. McDonald logging company and Mrs. Peterson helped out in the cookhouse.
They spent most of the year in California, returning to Idaho for the winters,
where Mr. Peterson worked in the mines.
In 1952, some old friends contacted them and
told them they had a little gypo logging outfit and had a job for Mr. Peterson
in Wrangell. Mrs. Peterson worked in the grocery store, and Mr. Peterson worked
in the logging camp and eventually moved to a location near Petersburg in 1957,
where they resided until 1984.
Mrs. Peterson worked at the Trading Union and
then at The Hobby Shop. They enjoyed sport-fishing and had many friends who they
entertained. Mrs. Peterson enjoyed cooking. They made several trips to Sitka to
spend holidays with their daughter and family. Their grandchildren, Mark and
Gregg, enjoyed many summer visits with the Petersons. They fished, camped and
cruised around Petersburg and Wrangell.
In 1984, Phyllis and her husband, Roy, were
living in Soldotna and building a new home in Sterling. They built a small
apartment on the lower level, and Mr. and Mrs. Peterson sold their home, packed
their belongings and moved to Sterling. They fished, traveled some and enjoyed
the company of their grandsons and great-grandchildren.
"Gregg and his family live in San Diego and
they tried to come home every couple of years. Tyler and Lyle loved grandma's
frozen raspberry jam. Mark's family lives next door so John and Christopher
visited quite often. Jacob and Julia always came over to play card games with
her. Grandma always had the cookie jar full and could whip out a sandwich or a
snack on a moment's notice," the family said.
"Her little black poodle, Suzy, was her
constant companion. She talked to her as if she was human, and Suzy understood
most of what she said.
"She will be dearly missed by all of her
immediate family and friends. She had a pleasant smile, a great sense of humor,
always willing to pitch in and help and her wonderful cinnamon rolls."
Mrs. Peterson was preceded in death by her
husband, Marvin, in 1995 and her son-in-law, Roy Torwick in 1996.
She is survived by her daughter, Phyllis
Torwick of Sterling; grandson, Mark and his wife, Sheri, and their children,
John, Christopher, Jacob and Julia, all of Sterling; grandson, Gregg and his
wife, Carolinn, and their sons, Tyler and Lyle, all of San Diego.
Arrangements were made by Peninsula Memorial
Chapel.
Source: Peninsula Clarion, December 17, 2003
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