On Aug. 25, 2018, Ellen L. Peterson went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at the age of 80, at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Wash. Ellen was a resident of Aberdeen for the past 43 years.
Ellen Louise Peterson was born on Feb. 12, 1938, in Seattle, Wash., to Carl and Dorothy (Bruhns) Rafert. She graduated from West Seattle High School, Concordia Junior College in Portland, Ore., and earned a BA degree in education from Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Ill. She taught elementary grades in St. Louis, Mo. and in Merrill, Wis.
On June 10, 1962, she married Richard J. (“Pete”) Peterson. In 1964, they moved to Blythe, Calif., where he served as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church. Their daughters, Renee and Rebecca, were born in California and accompanied their parents to Scappoose, Ore., in 1968 and then to Aberdeen, Wash., in 1975.
For more than 42 years, Ellen spent time on Wednesday mornings with ladies from Calvary Lutheran Church studying the Bible and being of support of each other. She also served in other capacities at Calvary — working with children in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Awana, along with being on committees and boards.
In 1980, Ellen and “Pete” began 30 years of leading travel groups, accompanying new friends to Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany, and much of Western Europe, and to the Holy Land (including Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Greece and Rome). In 1985, she began working at Durney/Journey Travel, and continued to visit faraway places, sharing the adventures with traveling companions. She felt blessed (and was amazed) to have visited five of seven continents, and to have seen a lot of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and China, and all 50 states. She enjoyed writing several travel related articles for the Senior Sunset Times, beginning in 2007.
Ellen is survived by her husband, Richard Peterson at the Aberdeen, Wash. family home; two daughters — Renee (Ward) Walker of Swansea, Ill., and Rebecca (Mike) Fitzpatrick of Aberdeen, Wash.; four grandchildren — Eric Fitzpatrick, Carl, Katie and Peter Walker; two brothers — Paul (Grace) Rafert and John (Diane) Rafert, both in the Seattle area; along with two nieces and four nephews (and their families) and numerous cousins and friends.
Visitation will be at the Coleman Mortuary, 422 – 5th Street in Hoquiam, Wash. on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A funeral service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Aberdeen with interment to follow in the Aberdeen Cemetery.
Memorials may be made the Calvary Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, Post Office Box 1957, Aberdeen, WA 98520.
Arrangements are by the Coleman Mortuary, 422 – 5th Street in Hoquiam.
Please take a few moments to share your thoughts with the family by signing the on-line register at www.colemanmortuary.net.
