Dennis Peterson

Dennis Clyde E. "Pete" Peterson, 61, a long time resident of the Flathead Valley, passed away August 15, 2008, at his home in Whitefish.

Pete was born May 16, 1947, in Lehi, Utah, to Glen and Beverlee Peterson, the oldest of five children.

He was raised in the Utah Valley, where he enjoyed the outdoors. He was involved with the Boy Scouts of America and received the Eagle Scout honor. As a member of the LDS Church, Pete served as a missionary in the Northern States Mission.

He later joined the Marine Corps and served in Vietnam, where he earned two Purple Hearts and many prestigious decorations for his bravery.

He attended Utah State University and Southern Illinois University, where he received his degree in psychology, sociology and mortuary science.

He married Janet Lynn Thompson in 1973 in Makanda, Ill.

Pete was a sportsman and outdoor enthusiast, spending his free time hunting, fishing, and camping with his family.

He was an avid reader and a wealth of information unto himself. His love for knowledge and personal growth astounded everyone around him, and he derived much of it from the gospel that guided his life.

As a mortician, he used his education in psychology and experience as a missionary to help the bereaved through the grieving process. He honored this position for more than 30 years, most of which was in the Flathead Valley.

He is preceded in death by the love of his life, wife Janet Lynn Thompson, and his father, Glen J. Peterson.

Pete is survived by his daughter Penny Decker and husband Blaine of Colorado; son Kuger Peterson and fiance Tiffany Kilgore, of Los Angeles; mother Beverlee (Tripp) Peterson, of American Fork, Utah; brothers Pierce Peterson and wife Ruth, of Elko, Nev., and Deeth Peterson, of Spring Creek, Nev.; sister Tish Smith and husband Tom, of Island Park, Idaho; foster brother Chuck Tortice and wife Virgie, of Whiteriver, Ariz.; and by many nieces, nephews and family members, and by a host of friends who will miss him dearly.

A funeral service was held Aug. 23, 2008, at the Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish with the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints officiating.

Burial followed in Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls, with military graveside rites by the United Veterans of the Flathead and the Montana National Guard.