Merna Jeanne Peterson Kinsella

A Mother - A guardian angel on earth doing God’s work.

May 27, 1930 - April 14, 2017 Age 86

Resided the last 5 years at 18218 S Holly Lane, Oregon City, Oregon

Died at home with family after a long battle with Alzheimers.

Merna was born in her home to her parents, Atha and Albin Peterson, in Deary Acres

(Portland) Oregon. She had two brothers, Wesley Peterson, Harold Peterson and a

sister, Arlene Peterson who died at a young age.

She graduated from Milwaukie High School in 1948 and shortly after married the love of

her life, Gerald Kinsella. They had a wonderful 66 years together. She had 4 children

and resided in Milwaukie until retirement and then moved to Gleneden Beach. She did

various jobs, daycare, sewing for Pendleton Woolen Mills, and worked the majority of

her life as a bookkeeper for her brother, Wesley Peterson who owned the Ringside

Restaurant.

She lived in Milwaukie from 1948 till 1992 when they moved to Gleneden Beach and

became snowbirds with their winters spent in Mesa, Arizona. In 2012 they moved in

with their daughter Debbie and Bob in Oregon City.

She enjoyed her family, travel, walking on the beach, swimming, knitting and crocheting.

She was very active in Milwaukie Lutheran Church and enjoyed being a Sunday school

teacher for many years. She loved to cook, bake and always had something good to

eat when her family stopped by. A fun day was to take her daughters out to lunch and

go shopping, you could tell how she loved to shop by the amount of shoes she owned.

Holidays were very special times for her having the family get togethers. Her

grandchildren were extra special to her and loved doing fun things with them. She just

loved life and showed it in many ways!

Spouse: Gerald Kinsella, predeceased in 2015

Children: Arlene Morrison and Dean

Mike Kinsella, predeceased in 1972

Debbie Hiatt and Bob

Todd Kinsella and Eddy

12 Grandchildren

21 Great Grandchildren

5 Great Great Grandchildren

Place of interment at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.

Family and friends are invited to her Celebration of Life at her Grandson Shaun and

Kim’s home, 101 McCarver Ave., Oregon City on May 21, 2017 at 1 pm to 4 pm.

Please call Debbie at 503-656-2102 or Todd at 503-320-3702 with any questions.

Memorial donations can be made to Comfort Hospice and Palliative Care, 6400 SE

Lake Road, Portland, Oregon 97222, 503-661-8990 or

The Bloom Project, 70 SW Century Drive, Bend, Oregon 97002, 541-241-8845

We thank Comfort Hospice for their wonderful care, a special thank you to Susan, Denis

and Robin.

We thank her wonderful caregivers, Ginamarie, Laurie and Amber.

Also a thank you to The Bloom Project for the beautiful flowers that brightened her days.