By HDN Staff
INVERNESS Margaret Virginia Peterson, 83, died at a Great Falls hospital Monday, Aug. 6, 2001.
Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at the Inverness United Methodist Church.
Peterson was born June 2, 1918 on the family homestead in Jenner, Alberta, Canada, to Evert and Jimmie Sparks. The family moved to Wetaskiwin, Alberta, where she attended country school. She worked at the hospital in Ponoka, Alberta, and continued to care for her parents.
On Oct. 28, 1944, she married Ralph Peterson and they lived on the Peterson farm north of Inverness. They moved into Inverness in 1988 and he died Oct. 13, 1989. She moved into a Chester nursing home in July.
Peterson was active in the community and was involved with PTA, 4-H clubs, Farmers Union, and helped teach Bible school and Sunday school. She was active in Home Demonstration Clubs, Democratic Women, the hospital guild and United Methodist Women. She served as both a district and conference officer with United Methodist Women and attended several regional and national meetings.
She enjoyed quilting, quilt shows, quilt classes and creating quilts for others. She also enjoyed sewing, reading and keeping up with political and social issues.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ralph Peterson; sister, Wilma Loween Abel; three infant siblings, and two nieces.
Survivors include her children, James Peterson of Galesburg, Ill., Loween Peterson of Billings, Janice Lincoln of Kalispell, Robert Peterson of Staten Island, N.Y.; brother, Edward Sparks of Sacramento, Calif.; foster daughter, Janet Dancer Walsh of Malta; special cousin, Mary Adelaide Burchell of Calgary, Alberta; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; four nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Intermountain Children's Home in Helena or to a donor's choice.
Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.
