Merle Jeannette Petersen

Merle Jeannette Petersen, born November 11, 1931, to Claude and Cecelia McFaddin, in Sacramento, died of natural causes April 1, 2024, at the age of 92. She was the third of four children. Her father was a high school English teacher. Merle graduated form high school in Long Beach, CA. She attended Long Beach City College and graduated from San Francisco State College with a B.A. in Education. Merle married Paul Datt in 1950. They had one daughter, Lorah, born in 1955, who died of multiple myeloma in 2017. Paul passed away in 1977. She married Joseph Petersen in 1978. Joe passed away in 2019.

Merle taught elementary school for four years until the birth of her daughter. She played the flute and the piano, and taught private piano lessons for years. She was a member of the First Congregational Church, where she sang in the choir and played in the handbell choir. She was a member of the Garden Club. Merle composed handbell music and children’s stories which were published.

A devoted mother and wife, Merle was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings Robert, Joyce and Elaine, her spouses Paul and Joe, her daughter Lorah Horn, and a step-son, Robin. She is survived by step-sons Jim Petersen of Kalispell, MT, and Tom Petersen (Deb) of Sacramento, nieces and nephews.

At Merle’s request, there will be no public services. She has been cremated and her remains will be placed in the memorial garden of the First Congregational Church of Houston.

The family wishes to thank The Gardens of Bellaire, Bluebonnet Hospice, and special friends German Amador and Tillie Vacek, for their admirable care of Merle in her last years.