Peter O.  Peterson

I cannot resist a quick follow-up to the last post that included a bit about Mormon pioneers making their arduous way across the great plains on foot while pushing handcarts.  The post elicited a lot of feedback; most significant was from my niece, Shannon.

Her great great grandfather made that journey with his parents & siblings in 1856 as a member of the Willie party that was beset by an early Wyoming blizzard.  Many perished, but the entire Peterson family, seven in total at that time, were among those who survived the ordeal, and were ultimately rescued.

Peter O. Peterson, a four-year-old during that experience, went on to live a full & fruitful life, which I will not try to detail fully here.  He married Mary Anderson whom he met when their families were enroute to Arizona years later.

Just 20 years after the Willie party rescue in Wyoming, Peter & Mary's first child, Mary, became the first white child to be born in Obed, Arizona, near the Little Colorado River.

The family eventually settled in Safford, Arizona, where many of them are laid to rest, including their great granddaughter - my sister-in-law Sharon, and where their names are inscribed on the entrance posts at the burying ground.

Shannon shared a photo of one of Peter's fine craftsmanship furniture pieces that I am sharing here.

 

It makes my heart happy to know that family connections are valued and cherished, as we celebrate all our connections with each other.