22 Aug 1915 – 20 Aug 2006
Husband of Virginia Christensen
Chester John Peterson passed away on Sunday, August 20, 2006 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born August 22, 1915, to Alma and Blanche Peterson, in Graham, Arizona.
He grew up in the Gila Valley working on his father’s farm. He attended Gila Academy and later worked his way through the University of Arizona School of Law. He served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern States. He joined the FBI in 1940 and worked as a Special Agent with the SIS in Colombia and Uruguay during WWII.
He met his sweetheart, Virginia Cardon Christensen, in New York City and they were married on June 8, 1945. They lived for 9 years in Safford, Arizona, where he practiced law with Jesse A. Udall and was a bishop for the Church.
In 1955, the family moved to Phoenix. His vegetable gardens kept family and friends well fed. He served as a Patriarch in the Church for 29 years, and worked in the Mesa Arizona Temple. He continued to practice as a litigation attorney for over 50 years in Arizona and worked for the FBI up until his 90th birthday.
He led a long life devoted to his family, his children and the Church. He was preceded in death by two of his sons, John C. Peterson and David C. Peterson. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, his son, James A Peterson, of Springfield, MO, his daughter-in-law Rosemary (Mrs. David C.) Peterson, his daughter Karen (Mrs. Kirk) Mosley, of Tucson, AZ, and his daughter, Rula Anne (Mrs. Var) Prock, 22 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 5:00-8:00 P.M. Wednesday, August 23, at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Rd. Funeral services will be at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, August 24, 2006, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 8710 N. 3rd Avenue, Phoenix, with Visitation at 9:00 A.M. in the Relief Society Room.
-Published in the Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona), 24 Aug 2006, Thursday, Page 25
Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona
