Esther Gertrude Petersen's Obituary
Esther died on September 11, 2010 at the age of 105. Esther was born to Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Kissick (Tina Campbell) in Princeton, IL on October 31, 1904. She was the tenth and youngest child with six brothers and three sisters. Esther's early years were spent on farms in Illinois, North Dakota, and Oregon. Esther often made her way through blizzards, riding in a horse drawn sled, to a one room country school a short distance from Lakota, ND. She saw Haley's comet in 1910 and survived the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918. Her family settled in Puyallup around 1919. Esther had a fantastic memory and told great stories. She remembered well the Armistice of the First World War. She watched the first Narrows Bridge plunge into the Tacoma Narrows Waterway. She remembered the first atomic bomb drop in New Mexico, and the first man walk on the moon. Esther married David W. Petersen in 1925. They enjoyed dancing at the local grange halls and went a few times to the Indianapolis 500 races. They were married for fifty-two years. Esther's early years were spent riding in a horse drawn buggy, then, what a change, in 1985 she flew on the Concord to Paris. She learned to drive in 1923 and did so until October 2003, at which time she gave up driving after never having a wreck or ticket. Esther was an accomplished seamstress who also enjoyed canning, knitting, and embroidery. Esther was preceded in death by her husband, David, and her stepson, Jack Farnham (Virginia). She is survived by her sons Gerald D. Petersen (Stella), Donald J. Petersen (Lorraine), thirteen grandchildren, thirty-one great-grandchildren, and ten great-great grandchildren. A Memorial for Esther Kissick Petersen will be held at Mountain View Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 29, at 1:30pm.
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