Karen Sue Petersen

Karen Sue Petersen, 74, passed from this life to meet her eternal companion, Harold Lee "Pete" Petersen, her parents, and her sister Louise Duncan on May 7, 2026. A Virginian, Karen Sue was born on February 28, 1952 to Gerald Eugene Heier and Lucille Lexie Sawyer. In 1974, in the Provo, Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Karen Sue married her high school sweetheart Pete. As teenagers, she shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with him and they were both baptized in 1968.

As a child, she enjoyed going to Buckroe Beach with her father who passed away in 1979 and who has been waiting to see his little girl on the other side of the veil these 47 years. After graduating from Denbigh High School in Newport News, Karen Sue graduated from Brigham Young University in English Literature, earning top marks and developing a poetic expression for beauty. Later she taught her children by example to notice and appreciate beauty in nature and in the efforts of others.

For many years, she faithfully taught children about the Savior Jesus Christ in Primary. She served others in need as a compassionate service leader, and was someone who could be reliably counted on to make a meal for anyone who needed it. She especially enjoyed doing missionary work with her husband in their later years. She was always a conscientious ministering sister and neighbor, and through that attentiveness, she made many dear friends in Farmington and St. George, Utah.

She made a home for those who were hers even in the face of debilitating anxiety, fear, and doubt. Despite the obstacles in her path, she was an example of persistence and strength; always doing her best regardless of her fears. In the end, she fulfilled the measure of her creation with love and affection to her husband, family, and Father in Heaven.

She is survived by her children and their spouses Matthew & Maralise, Carrie & Brandon, Bryce, and Mark & Lindsay along with her ten grandchildren: Stone, Grey, Luke, Katelyn, Riley, Pete, Gabriel, Zoë, Tommy, and Eleonore. She is also survived by her brothers David (Jan) and Tim (Jackie) Heier and their families and her elder sister June Runkel.

Funeral services will be held on May 16, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. with viewing at 9:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 2017 Newman Road, Williamsburg, Virginia. On May 20, 2026, Karen Sue will take her place at Quantico National Cemetery, Virginia with her husband and his parents.

To view the funeral service, please follow the link provided:

https://zoom.us/j/95179626169?pwd=WituSUxhcUtDY0lUQ1hPeWs1NnJXQT09