Merlene Peterson

Merlene Harrison Peterson

July 20, 1924 ~ April 26, 2018

Our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend passed away on April 26, 2018. Merlene was born on July 20, 1924, on her mother’s birthday, and had just turned 93. She was born in Thatcher, Caribou, Idaho, to John Stanley Harrison and Ruth Bollwinkel.

She lived in Thatcher until 1930. Her family moved to Grace, Idaho, where she started the first grade, and not only did they move the family, they moved the whole house. Her senior year at Grace High School, World War II started on December 7, 1941. She graduated in May of 1942. After graduation, she planned on going to college, but many of the girls decided to go to Salt Lake City to help with the war effort.

She worked at Eitel McCullough, a radio tube factory, until the fall of 1944. She registered the fall of 1944 at Utah State University. The war ended in 1945.

She met Ray Peterson in the fall of 1946 after he returned from serving in France and Germany. They were married on Mary 28, 1947 in the Logan Utah LDS Temple. They celebrated 69 years of marriage. Merlene graduated from Utah State University on May 28, 1948 on her first wedding anniversary. She received a Bachelor Degree in Art and Education, and a minor in literature.

She was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many callings such as teacher in Sunday School, Primary worker, Young Womens, and in two Relief Society Presidencies. Her favorites were coordinator of the Junior Sunday School, in the extraction program of the church for many years, and working with Dad as an ordinance worker in the Ogden Utah LDS Temple.

Merlene is survived by her four children, Allan Ray of North Ogden, Brent (Diane) Layton of Layton, Lori (Dean) Anderson of Plain City; and Jeffrey (DeAnn) of North Ogden. She was 15 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ray; parents; one sister; one brother; one granddaughter; and one grandson.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 11 a.m. at the North Ogden 16th Ward, 205 East Elberta Drive. Friends may visit with family on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s North Ogden Mortuary, 2140 N. Washington Blvd. and Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the church. Interment, Logan City Cemetery.