Traces of Time . . .
(To see last week's blog post--scroll down to the end of this week, then the Week of August 10-16, 2020 will be there. If it's not, hit "Older Posts." at the bottom right.)
AUGUST 17-23, 2020
THIS WEEK-
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020
Family is Everything…
Marci helped Walt start the day.
Karen, Walt's long-term hospice
nurse, comes every
Monday and Thursday.
We Watched a 1939 movie--
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
It is a sad movie.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020
Family is Everything…
Julie has a tradition of having cupcakes for her kids
when they get home from the firs day of school...
I brought some in for us.
Jacee took a photo of us.
If you look you can see I have on
my shirt with the flamingos that Walt bought
me in Belize in 2007 when he had to fly there
to help the physicians there with a sick missionary.
School started today...
so it's like:
a cool day in Autumn that the kids
had started school, so she made
potato soup and scones for supper.
Here's their first day school pictures...
Jacee - a Senior at Westlake High School
Morningside Elementary
for the Covid19 Pandemic.
So happy to see each other,
all in face masks but not social distancing.
School days, school days
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020
Family is Everything…
Marci came to help Walt
she found on my Dec 2015 blog,
wondering if I have a better copy.
I don't. Can anyone tell me how to
photoshop a clearer copy of this one?
Our movie night with Gary.
For Walt's favorite Disney animated film
he has chosen "Pinocchio" from 1940.
It came out when they had moved to Hailey, Idaho
when he was 7. He walked a few blocks from
his house to the theater for the Saturday
matinee. His sisters couldn't go for some reason.
So he was alone. When it got to the part when
the mean Strombolli put Pinocchi in the cage,
Walt got scared, left the theater and ran home.
This is first time Gary has come to be
with us for our Wednesday night movie
since the Covid pandemic shut
things down in March.
the next two days.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020
Family is Everything…
These two neighbors came to help
lift Grampa off the floor when he
slid down off his bed.
Thank you Troy and Mike.
As Julie said, she's like one of the family now.
stay with him...
...but Julie thought I should go
to Anna's "drive-by goodbye" before...
...she flies to her new mission assignment...
...in the California Sacramento Mission...
...to serve until she gets her visa
for the...
...Finland Helsinki Mission.
Anna shared her testimony
She flies to Sacramento on Monday, August 24.
with us in Finnish.
Sounds like she learned a lot of
this hard language during her 2-months
on-line MTC training.
Anna gave us this darling
framed photo of her.
Karen came again Thursday night.
Karen came back Thursday night and
asked us to check Walt every two hours.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020 -- the day Walt passed away.
Family is Everything…
Karen came again Friday morning
just after I'd heard Walt say: "Burley"
even tho he never really woke up.
Julie called the siblings to tell them
Dad was not doing well.
David came that morning.
I told him Karen said that even tho
Walt is not able to respond, she thinks
he can hear what we're saying to him.
David said some very tender words to his Dad,
then "Goodbye."
out of the blue to see how we were doing.
When I told her Walt wasn't doing well, she said:
"We'll be right there."
She gave Walt a tender goodbye.
Ross also said some touching words to Walt.
They were our neighbors on Burton Avenue
until they moved to Riverton 15 years ago.
They have been our friends for 50 years.
Just as they were leaving,
Janie pulled in from Rexburg.
Actually Sam drove Janie because she
had an ACL repair August 11 and
she is still on crutches.
- - - - - - - - - - - I didn't get a photo of Janie or Sam. Sam rested for just a little while, then he drove back to Rexburg. Shawn, who has been with his Dad, Budd Fisher, in Kanab for a few days, was driving back to Rexburg and would stop in Saratoga Springs to drive Janie back home.
We checked on Walt throughout the day. He did not rouse. We did not feel like taking any photos.
One of our daughter's took a photo of me sitting by Walt that afternoon.
Karen, Walt's nurse, came back at eight o'clock to check on him again. His blood pressure was very low, his oxygen had dropped much lower than it had been when she checked it that morning. His heart--which had always been so strong--was irregular and she said his lungs sounded as though they were filling with fluid. We knew this was ominous.
Brian and his wife Jennifer arrived from the airport--having flown from Nashville, Tennessee-- just after the nurse left about 9:30.
Jen and Jerry and family who had left Rochester, Minnesota, that morning on their planned drive to bring their twins, Seth and Sarah, to get moved into their dorms at BYU to be ready for the start of Fall Semester, had made it to the middle of Wyoming by that night. David was driving back down from Draper, arriving about 10:50.
Our children in the bedroom with me around their Dad's bedside were Janie, Gary, Steve, Julie, Brian and his wife Jennifer. John was in and out as he was helping their children.
Our kids were sharing childhood remembrances about their Dad.
At 10:43 Walt took his last breath and peacefully slipped from this earth life to his next phase of eternity.
A quiet calm entered the room.
Dr. Bryce Swenson, Walt's hospice physician, wrote on the death certificate later that the cause of death was Lewy Body Dementia.
At 1:00 a.m., John took this photo of us gathered after the kind men from the Larkin Mortuary had taken Walt's body to make it ready for Jeff Rasmussen to return Walt to his beloved Idaho to be buried.
“Returning from earth to life in our heavenly
home requires passage through and not around—the doors of death. --Russell M. Nelson
The Larkin Mortuary men left this
on Walt's empty bed.
It touched my heart deeply.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2020
Family is Everything…
Janie typed a very tender obituary.
I thought I had typed a rough draft of one last year.
But I could not find it in the computer anywhere, and
it's a good thing. Janie's is much better than the one I had done.
She typed it in about 2 hours.
She said "it just came to me."
Obituary follows. Here's the link to his funeral:
I have copied the obituary here, but I can't get the margins to adjust.
Please just click the blue link in next line to go to obituary. Type Petersen in the search box.
Walt’s obituary is at rasmussenfuneralhome.com.
For those
unable to attend the funeral for Walt Petersen
in person
Sat., Aug 29. 2020 at 11:00 a.m., a live webcast of the funeral service will be
available at the following link:
Walter Ray Petersen
Apr. 17, 1934 - Aug. 21, 2020
Date of Service: Aug. 29, 2020
Walter Ray Petersen, 86, formerly of Burley, Idaho,
currently residing in Saratoga Springs, Utah, died August 21, 2020, due to Lewy Body Dementia.
He passed away peacefully
surrounded by his wife and children.
He was born April 17, 1934, in Wendell, Idaho, to
Raymond O. Petersen and Jane Prescott
Petersen. He had two older sisters, Bonnie
and Phyllis, and a younger brother, Dale. His family lived
briefly in Hailey and Pocatello and then returned to
Wendell where he spent the summers
doing farm work, learning carpentry, attended
school and graduated from Wendell High School in
1952. He was an outstanding athlete, on the football
field and basketball
court, and captained both teams. He was a natural
leader from a young age, serving as student body
president, and receiving the Babe Ruth award
for outstanding sportsmanship, the Beryl Passmore award for
scholastic and athletic achievement, and the American
Legion award for outstanding senior boy.
He went on to play basketball for both the University of
Idaho and Boise Jr. College, graduating
from BJC as valedictorian. He served a
mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints in the Uruguay-Paraguay Mission.
He was able to use his Spanish fluency
throughout his life to communicate with patients
and in other capacities.
He began dating Eileen Albertson in the summer
of 1960 when they had both returned
home to Wendell during their summer break. They
were pinned before he left for medical school, and
got engaged at Christmas. They were married
on June 14, 1961, in the Salt Lake
Temple. Their family grew to seven children,
39 grandchildren, and
two great-grandchildren.
Following his mission, he returned to the
University of Idaho to complete
his bachelor’s degree. He changed from
engineering to pre-medical studies,
and graduated in 1959. He attended Washington
University Medical School
in St. Louis, Missouri, earning his M.D. degree in
June 1963. He then
interned at Minneapolis General Hospital in
Minnesota for one year and
then served two years in the public health
service at the Indian Hospital in
Talihina, Oklahoma. In 1966, they returned
to their Southern Idaho roots to
begin his medical practice as a family physician
in Burley. Through his 39
years of medical practice, it is estimated that
he delivered 4000 babies.
He healed many hearts, heads, hands, and
everything in-between.
In Burley, he was involved in many aspects
of the community. He was a
true Burley Bobcat fan. He loved supporting
not only his own children in
sports, but also served as the Burley High
School team physician for 27
years. He was a fixture on the football sidelines
in his green Bobcat
letterman’s jacket. Most evenings during sports
seasons were spent at
games. He treated hundreds of athletes
during these years.
He was involved in many civic and professional
organizations, often serving
in leadership positions. He served on the Burley
City Council from 1977-1983.
He was a member of the Kiwanis Club, a delegate
for the Idaho Medical
Association, the Chief of Staff at Cassia Memorial
Hospital, and the president
of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians. He was
named the Burley
Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the Year in
1991, Idaho Family
Physician of the Year in 1994, and the 2000 Magic
Valley President’s
award in recognition of his many years of service to
the youth and community.
He enjoyed many hobbies and activities, always
involving his family.
He loved snow skiing at Pomerelle and Sun Valley,
spending summer
days water skiing on the Snake River, flying his
Cessna airplane all over
the country, and playing basketball regularly
into his 70s.
He was a faithful member of The Church of
Jesus Christ
of Latter-day
Saints, and was valiant in his testimony of
his Savior
Jesus Christ. He
served in many capacities throughout his life,
including
as a bishop
(Burley 7th Ward), stake president
(Burley Idaho West
Stake), mission
president (Mexico Mérida Mission), temple president
(El Salvador Temple),
and as a multi-regional Spanish-speaking patriarch. He
spent additional years in missionary service
with his beloved companion at his side, serving as the
area medical advisors
in Central America area and the South America south area.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Eileen Marie
Albertson Petersen,
currently residing in Saratoga Springs, Utah; his
children, Mary Jane Fisher
(Shawn) of Rexburg, Gary Petersen (looking) of
Pleasant Grove, Utah,
Steven Petersen (Natalie) of Saratoga Springs,
Utah, David Petersen (Julie)
of Draper, Utah, Julie Peterson (John) of
Saratoga Springs, Utah, Brian
Petersen (Jennifer) of Shelbyville, Tennessee,
and Jennifer Brewer (Jerry)
of Rochester, Minnesota; 39 grandchildren;
two great-grandchildren;
his brother, Dale Petersen (Connie); and a
sister-in-law, Janice Robertson.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday,
August 29, at The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Burley
West Stake Center, located at
2420 Parke Ave., in Burley, with President
Matthew Cook officiating.
Burial will be in Wendell Cemetery.
Friends may call from 5 until 7 p.m.
Friday, August 28, at Rasmussen-Wilson
Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley,
and at the church on Saturday,
from 10 until 10:45 a.m.
He loved his Idaho home dearly. His last
spoken word was, “Burley.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
wearing of a face mask and social
distancing is recommended.
For those unable to attend in person,
a live webcast of the funeral service
will be available online at the link below:
A luncheon will be
served later that
afternoon at the Burley Third
Ward at 2200 Oakley Avenue. We estimate
that will be about 3:45 p.m.
Thank you so much to Colleen McCall and
the Burley Third Ward Relief Society
for planning to provide a luncheon. We will
be "back home" for two days.
Janie, our oldest daughter, has written a most
wonderful obituary today.
She said it "came to her" as a tender mercy.
Now I know why the draft I
thought I had written last year was
lost from the computer.
Sure seems lonely without Walt here.
But as a family we are happy he is
free from all those physical ailments he
had the last two years. Now he can run,
even walk normally again. Think and remember clearly.
Info about the webcast of funeral:
Walter Ray Petersen – April 17, 1934 to August 21, 2020
Regarding Webcast of Walt’s funeral,
Sat, Aug. 29, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.
After the original webcast begins at
the start of the funeral,
it will be like a “You Tube”
and will be available at any time
from anywhere in the world.
Thank heavens for modern technology.
What a marvelous time we live in.
Can you imagine the super-marvelous
place Walt is living in right now?
It’s beyond comprehension!
Traces of Walt's Life in photos...
In addition to the great video our granddaughter,
Ashley, put together, here's some photos I'm sharing.
The link to the video is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE-JrJu_2MY
Hi All -
I’m sorry that we weren’t able to get it all figured out
for the viewing and funeral.
The funeral home needed it on a DVD and my dvd burner
is old and glitchy and we just couldn’t get it to burn.
But, here it is now, and we can all watch
and enjoy it now whenever we want.
Bookmark it so you don’t have to keep
looking back for this email.
Hope that it brings lots of smiles, and maybe some
happy tears as you feel his love
through these memories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE-JrJu_2MY
Walt's Mom said to me: "Eileen, you know Walt's
always had a dog. "I'm good with dogs," I quickly replied.
 |
| This shows more of Peggy. |
Walt with Grampa Bide
(looking for photo)
Walt - 1959 Graduation from University of Idaho
Walt - with his Dad and Mom, sister Phyllis and brother Dale
at his University of Idaho graduation - June 1959
Walt and Eileen - Weekend in August we got pinned
June 14, 1961
Salt Lake Temple
My Dad and Mom, Arnold and Verna Albertson were sealed
the same day we were. Walt's Dad and Mom, Ray and Jane
Petersen, are standing on the right in the photo on the
steps of the Salt Lake Temple.
Walt, Eileen, Mary Jane 1963
Walt, Eileen, Mary Jane, Gary 1965 Idaho for Christmas
1966 - Three children
1969 - Four children
1971 - Five children
1973 - Six children
1974 - Seven children
The years do go by in the blink of an eye!
Mary Jane graduated from Burley High School
in 1981 and went to BYU. Gary repeated this in 1983.
This photo is in September of 1983,
before they would start leaving
to serve missions and we wouldn't all be together
at the same time. It's taken on Frenchman's Island
near Burley, Idaho.
50th Wedding Anniversary on June 14, 2011.
just before we left in July to serve as
Temple President and Matron of the new
San Salvador El Salvador Temple from
July 20, 2011 to November 1, 2014.
from Idaho to Utah, our family had grown
to 39 grandchildren and
one great-grandchild.
WEPR -
Walt and Eileen Petersen Family Reunion
last time together as a family
with our Patriarch -
Walter Ray Petersen -
with us.
We gathered on August 28 and 29
to see that our beloved
husband, father, grandfather,
and great-grandfather was laid
...then sealed
in his beautiful wood casket
to await the
Morning of the First Resurrection...
(Please send me photos of
the kids and me by the sealed vault.)
where the Burley 3rd Ward
served a wonderful family luncheon.
Back to a week earlier
Sat., Aug 22...
Steve and Brian brought in lunch, then supper for everyone.
We were mostly in disbelief that Walt has
really died and is no longer with us.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2020
Family is Everything…
We are still very somber.
Jackson blessed and passed the Sacrament to us.
Bishop Mardesich and his wife, Sharon, came to see us.
How kind of them.
One of Julie's blueberry friends,
Jen Beck Monson and her
husband, brought in
Sunday dinner.
It was very appreciated.
*** *** ***
We are so thankful for The Plan of Salvation
and the Atonement of Jesus Christ
that makes this Great Plan operational.
At the end of this August 23rd,
we pray you have had a
restful , peaceful, and spiritual
Sabbath Day...
We share these truths as our testimony to you...
Heavenly Father lives and knows us each by name. He loves us and wants us to return to Him and Heavenly Mother when we leave this mortal existence. He loves us just as we are at this very moment.
*** *** ***
Jesus Christ came to earth as The Only Begotten of the Father and fulfilled the Atonement. He is the Redeemer of all. With the passing away of Walt two days ago, the power of the Atonement is seared into our souls even deeper. We are so thankful that because of The Savior's Atonement, we know we will be with our loved ones for eternity.
*** *** ***
Joseph Smith was foreordained to be the Prophet of the Restoration. He is the Restorer of all things.
*** *** ***
President Russell M. Nelson is the Living Prophet today for all the world.
*** *** ***
The Bible is "the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly" and is a Testament of the Divinity of Jesus Christ.
*** *** ***
The Book of Mormon is the Word of God and is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is the most correct book of any book on earth.
*** *** ***
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the True Church on the earth today.
*** *** ***
Of these truths we testify in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Walt and Eileen Petersen
Saratoga Springs, Utah, U.S.A.
August 23, 2019
Walt is young again!
We will be together on resurrection day...
never to be parted!
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