Mrs. Lorayne J. Peterson's Obituary
Mrs. Lorayne Jurmu Peterson went home to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 27, 2021. Mrs. Peterson was born in Ferndale, Michigan, on February 26, 1925, and was raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She was the third child of seven and the first daughter of Martha Palosaari Jurmu and Thomas Jurmu, a copper miner. After graduating from Stephenson High School in 1942, she graduated from Menominee County Normal School for Teachers in Menominee, Michigan and attended Bob Jones College in Cleveland, Tennessee. She returned to the Upper Peninsula to teach in one of the last one-room schoolhouses in Michigan. She married William F. Peterson of Muskegon, Michigan, in August of 1947. After marriage, the couple lived in Duluth, Minnesota and Buffalo, New York, then returned to Muskegon. Lorayne spent most of her life as a resident of Muskegon and was a faithful worshipper at Lakeside Baptist Church. She was involved in her community as a member of the Women’s Medical Auxiliary, a member of the Muskegon Museum of Art and through her participation in the inaugural years of Muskegon County Citizens for Clean Air. She was preceded in death by her husband, Reverend William F. Peterson, M.D., of Muskegon, in 1969. She then began a successful career at a time when women were establishing their place in the business world. In this, she set a strong example for many. She is survived by her children Martha P. Schatz of San Antonio, Texas, Mary P. Johannes of Washington, D.C., Carol P. Michaelides of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Jonathan W. Peterson of Holland, Michigan, and her sister Shirley Jurmu Adolph of Iowa City, Iowa. She is also survived by her dear friend, Richard H. Johnson of Muskegon. In addition, her legacy includes eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Mrs. Peterson will be remembered by her children and grandchildren as a person of strong determination, resilience and, most of all, for her loving and nurturing heart. Growing up during the Great Depression, entering adulthood during WWII, and raising three younger siblings as a newlywed, upon the early death of her parents, all served to galvanize a character of duty and responsibility. After the premature death of her husband at age 45, Mrs. Peterson raised her four children with a vision to provide them with opportunities she never had herself. Her unapologetic dependence on God was a testimony to all. She has been a mentor and advocate for her children and continues to be a strong role model. In her last years she still had the chorus of this hymn on her lips, “I know the LORD will make a way for me.” The LORD was faithful, and indeed, He did. Arrangements have been entrusted to The Walburn Chapel of Sytsema Funeral and Cremation Services, 1547 W. Sherman Blvd., Muskegon, MI 49441.
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