Kazue Peterson

Born on January 27, 1931, in Chiba, Japan, “Kaz” spent much of her childhood in wartime Tokyo, where surviving on food rations and enduring firebombing was part of daily life. Those experiences built the strength and resilience that would serve her well. After the war, she worked at a variety of jobs and met her future husband, Robert “Bob” Peterson, a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed at a base near Tokyo. They fell in love and, after a two-year courtship, were married at the U.S. Embassy on June 17, 1958.

Life as a military spouse was exciting but challenging with the family constantly on the move. In 1966, Kaz and Bob relocated permanently to the U.S., where they raised three children and eventually settled near Tinker Air Force Base. At the time of Bob’s passing in 2023, they had been married for 65 years.

Kaz adapted well to life in America, enjoying the freedom her independent spirit had always craved. She had big dreams for her children, and to help fulfill those dreams, she went to work as a manager for Braum’s Ice Cream. She discovered a natural talent for leadership and consistently ranked in the top five percent in company sales. After nearly 20 years at Braum’s, she retired to focus on being a grandmother.

A talented cook, Kaz could whip out a Thanksgiving casserole as easily as she could Japanese sukiyaki, blending the best of her two cultures. Her family’s favorite dish was gyoza—deep-fried Japanese dumplings filled with beef and pork—which became the centerpiece of every Christmas Eve celebration. Her numerous recipes live on in her children and grandchildren.

Kaz will be remembered for her exceptional common sense, her emotional strength, and her unwavering devotion to family. She is preceded in death by her husband, Bob, and is survived by her children—Susan and husband Damon, Daniel, and John and wife Tara. She also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren—Avery, Kevin, Zachary and wife Abby, Alex, Clayton and wife Kamber, and Samantha—as well as her great grandchildren, Palmer and Harper.

Funeral services to honor Kaz’s life will be conducted on Saturday, June 27, at 10:00 a.m. at Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home at Sunny Lane Cemetery. Her final resting place will be beside her husband at Sunny Lane Cemetery in Del City, Oklahoma.