Annette Green Peterson

October 12, 1933 – February 26, 2022

Annette Green Peterson, age 88, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, returned to her heavenly home on Saturday, February 26, 2022, to be reunited with the love of her life and her family who were waiting for her.

Annette was born in Menan, Idaho, to Robert Dennis Green and Mary Harriet Poole. She was the fourth child in a family of six children. When Annette was four months old, her mom and oldest brother came down with typhoid fever, so she was taken care of by her Aunt Esther for four months until her mom and brother recovered from the typhoid. Aunt Esther was always her “second mom.” Her mom said Annette was such a “pest” growing up – always getting into things, climbing on everything, wandering away and getting lost, getting hurt, and seeing how far she could push her parents before she got punished. But she had a good childhood with lots of love, and even though they did not have much money, they had everything they needed. She has so many stories she would tell us about growing up in rural Idaho: their big garden, getting everything ready to bottle and preserve, bringing the frozen wash on washing day so the frozen clothes could thaw in the house, swimming in the canal, and playing ball out in the cow pasture.

Annette met the love of her life, Harvey Lavon Peterson, through a blind date set up by his niece. They were married June 15, 1952, in Terreton, Idaho, and sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on November 19, 1952. After a honeymoon to the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington, they settled in a little house in Terreton, Idaho, which they described as “two rooms and a path” to begin their life and family together. Ten months later they welcomed their first child and daughter, Lana Kay. That little house proved to be too small when they welcomed a second daughter, Connie Rae, to their family, so they moved to a larger house. Three years later their son, Gary L, joined the family. By then their little family had outgrown three houses in Terreton and one in Menan, so they moved to Rigby, Idaho, in 1958 where they lived for four years. Then the Arco test site closed where Harvey worked. He was offered another job at the Mountain Home Air Force Base near Grandview, Idaho, but they were expecting their fourth child and the town had no hospital. They decided to move the family to Jerome, Idaho, to be near Annette’s sister, Mary. Harvey would come home on weekends. Their fourth child and third daughter, Jolene, was born during their time in Jerome.

In 1962 Harvey and Annette moved their little family to Las Vegas, Nevada, and Harvey went to work on the Nevada Atomic Testing Site. The ten years they lived in Las Vegas were filled with good times and many friends with whom they enjoyed fun activities with. The family took numerous vacations in the white truck and camper and spent a lot of time on Lake Mead fishing, waterskiing, swimming, and boating with friends after they bought the boat.

In 1966, Annette decided to go back to college and get her nursing degree. In February 1967, she graduated from nursing school at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, as an LPN. She loved working as a nurse and being able to help people, so it was difficult to give up later in life when her health would not permit it anymore.

But their moving days were not over yet. Over the course of the next fifteen years, Harvey and Annette moved from Las Vegas to Shoshone, Idaho, where they bought and ran the Snack Bar Drive-In. Harvey was still working at the Nevada Test Site because he was scheduled for one last project – the summer of 1971 he was on the Aleutians Island of Amchitka for a nuclear bomb test, so Annette managed the Snack Bar until he returned home. Three years later they sold the Snack Bar and moved to Twin Falls, Idaho. In 1986 they moved to Salt Lake City and finally bought the house in Kearns, Utah, where they lived the rest of their lives together, enjoying the blessings of grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom they loved dearly and loved to spend time with.

Annette grew up with a pioneer heritage of work and keeping busy. Her Grandma Poole was always telling her “Idleness is the devil’s workshop,” so she kept busy. She came from a family of quilters and has spent her life piecing together quilts - every one either tied or quilted by hand. She was incredibly talented in many kinds of handiwork – cross stitching, embroidery, and crocheting, and sewing clothing and other items for her children. She made beautiful quilts, pillowcases, dishtowels, afghans, and pictures that are framed and hung throughout her home. She loved to read, and when she was not making things with her hands, she was holding a book. She also wrote almost daily in her journals throughout her life and wrote her life story. She kept numerous photo albums of her family, trips, friends, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and documented her life. It was hard on her when the Alzheimer’s started taking away her ability to make and create because it was such a part of who she was.

Annette also played the piano and loved music. She was frequently called as the chorister for Relief Society, Primary, or Ward Chorister in her ward. While in Las Vegas, she was the chorister for Primary and her daughter, Lana, was the accompanist. They had great fun choosing songs for the children to learn and working together. In 1968 she had the privilege of singing with the Las Vegas Singing Mothers during a General Conference session in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Annette had a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. She was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held many positions during her lifetime – teacher, chorister, visiting teacher, Relief Society president – just to name a few. She was called as a temple worker and held several positions while serving in the Jordan River Temple. She also was called to help with the extraction work on genealogy records and spent countless hours in front of a computer viewing microfiche records and recording the information on paper records.

Annette is survived by her children, Lana (Gordan) Visser, Connie (Clair) Thorne, Gary (Marie) Peterson, and Jolene Peterson, 12 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren, plus many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey Lavon Peterson, her parents, and five siblings. Mom loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren so much. She loved to have them come over to visit and show her what they had been learning in school and what they could do. She loved to have them read to her when they were learning to read and was excited to hear about their adventures. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren loved her as much as she loved them. She will be so missed.

Per her wishes, there will be no public viewing prior to the funeral services which will be held Friday, March 11, 2022, at 11:00 am at the Kearns 8th Ward chapel, 3750 West 6200 South, Taylorsville, Utah.

Interment will be Saturday, March 12, 2022, at 1:00 pm at the Little Butte Cemetery, 3883 E. Menan Lorenzo Hwy, Rigby, Idaho.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ValleyViewFuneral.com for the Peterson family.