Myrna Peterson's Obituary
Myrna Loy Peterson, age 83, passed away in Lakeview, Michigan, on June 13, 2026, after a year-long battle with cancer. She was born on April 27, 1943, in Oxford Nebraska to Ward and Betty(Martin) Barlow.Ward was killed in the line of duty in World War II on February 18, 1945, leaving Betty and young Myrna in a war-torn world. Betty later married Conner Leach and together they had four more children, Linda, Jerry, Garey, and Robert. Myrna met Raymond Leon Peterson (Ray) while she was attending college in Lincoln, Nebraska, and they married in 1963. Myrna left her college plans behind to begin their life together, which included typing up Ray’s master’s thesis, a large task back in those days. Ray's job as an engineer took them to various states in the U.S. Their oldest, Nadine, was born in Nebraska, then Neal, Natalie, and Ned were born in Texas. As a family they moved to California, Massachusetts, and back to California. When the children were young, Myrna was a homemaker and spent many hours preparing meals, gardening, sewing, baking beautiful cakes, painting, and spending time with the children. Myrna worked as a high school registrar and secretary when the kids were older. She enjoyed the academic atmosphere where she could interact with the students and staff. After the children had finished high school, Myrna and Ray made additional moves, including another location in California, back to Texas again and lastly as a couple, to Arizona. They chose to stay in Arizona after Ray's retirement and spent many hours working with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Ray passed away in 2016, after his battle with cancer, and Myrna stayed in Arizona for a few more years. With the children spread out all over the U.S., she decided to move to Michigan to be close to the youngest grandchildren. In 2020 and in the midst of Covid, she purchased her new home in the small town of Lakeview. Myrna continued to be active in the local Seventh-Day Adventist Church and spent time with her grandchildren in person, by phone, or on Facebook. Myrna still enjoyed cooking including making beautiful cakes for family birthdays, bird watching, sewing and crocheting. She has made something for all of the kids and grandkids over the years, from wedding dresses to cakes to large bed quilts.
Myrna is survived by her sister Linda O'Dell, brother Robert Leach, her children Neal Peterson (Kazumi), Natalie Wood (Jonathan), and Ned Peterson (Karen); her son-in-law Brad Davis (Nadine); grandchildren Brandon Davis, James Wood (Miranda), Mary Ann Wood, Kaden Peterson, and Cheyenne Peterson; great grandchildren Rowan and Beckham Wood; and many nieces and nephews. Myrna was preceded in death by her parents Ward Barlow and Betty (Martin Barlow) Leach, her husband Raymond, brothers Jerry and Garey, brother-in-law Marvin O’Dell, sister-in-law Barb Leach, and daughter Nadine Davis.
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