Sandra Lynn Peterson

Sandra, was reunited with her loved ones in heaven, on June 8, 2025. She was surrounded by love and family. She was proceeded in death by her sons, Michael Lloyd and Ronald Roy Peterson, her husband, Ronald Roy Peterson, her parents, Lloyd and Carol Wilhelm and step mother Diane Wilhelm, as well as her Aunts, Connie (Burr) Lively and Corky (Mickey) Diamond, her grandparents and great grandparents.

Sandra was brought into the world by her parents, Lloyd and Carol Wilhelm February 16, 1947, in Butte, Montana. She has three sisters Karla (Rick) Valentini of Anaconda, Montana; Wrenie (Steve) Knutson of Helena, Montana, and Kara Wilhem of Butte, Montana. Sandra was blessed with many nieces and nephews: Todd Valentini, Tami Manning, Geno Valentini, Jamie Lodmell, Chance Wilhelm, Ashlee Graves and Jessica Knutson.

During her early years they lived in many places including Butte, Alaska, and Elliston. There are others but these are the ones she talked about most.

Sandra graduated High School in Deer Lodge, Montana. During her growing up years, she loved to ride horses and spent many hours riding in the mountains on her horse Honey. In later years she taught her daughters to ride as well.

She loved her sisters and her cousins fiercely, and they enjoyed many hours of adventures together as children wherever they were.

Sandra married Ronald Roy Peterson on October 22, 1966, and together they had four children. Ava (Rusty) Talbott, Malissa (Jeff) Crane all residing in Butte, Montana, and her sons Michael Lloyd Peterson and Ronald Roy Peterson whom both gained passage to heaven as infants. Ron and Sandy struggled in their marriage at times, but in the end, they were exactly what each other needed. They loved each other dearly! She was an amazing mother that tried her hardest to be there for her children, to spoil them with all the things she could and to help them when she was needed. She made a lot of their school clothes in younger years, spent hours planning out the holidays and birthdays, worked hard to create beautiful bedrooms and all the things two girls could ask for. We were so lucky, deeply loved and honored to call her Mom! As a family we spent many weekends camping, fishing, traveling and enjoying life!

Sandra was a loving grandmother to her 6 grandchildren: Josh (Erica) Chamberlin of Oregon, Nycole Chamberlin of Idaho, Michael Peterson Crane of Butte, Casey (Brittany) Peterson of Idaho, Heather (Eric) O’Connell of Butte, Brittnee Crane of Missoula. She took her role as grandmother very seriously and made sure they always had the extra things they wanted. She spent hours with them, took them on special outings and vacations. They have a lifetime of memories to cherish of times spent with their grandma.

Sandra had a whopping 26 great grandchildren, including those naturally born into the family and those adopted by marriage, she lovingly welcomed them all. Although she got sick before she was able to welcome many of them into the family, she loved you all and enjoyed getting to watch you and be with you always. All that was needed to know her feelings was to see the looks on her beautiful face as the smile broadened when each of you would talk to her or show her your love.

Sandra worked many places over the years from most recent Butte Silver Bow Bus Driver, Butte Silver Bow School Bus Driver, Centennial Concrete, United Building Center, LaVelle Powder, Pork Chop Johns, Sherif’s Pizza, all in Butte, the Quack Quack Café in Melrose and The Register’s Office in Deer Lodge during high school. She said her favorite job was driving the special needs school bus and she loved all her kiddos! She was a hard worker and dedicated to what ever job she held at the time.

Sandra had a wide list of hobbies and interests that would take a lifetime to list. There wasn’t a craft she couldn’t do and do well. Her most recent favorites included showing her Great Danes, sewing, pottery, knitting, crochet, and beading, although there were many others over the years. She was a fantastic cook, did carpentry work, remodeled her homes including the plumbing and electrical, and loved to help others! She built an addition full length of our first family home in Butte with very little help after the main structure was erected. She and Ron built their garage on their final home with some help from friends and family. Working together on such projects was a struggle for Sandra and Ron, they did not always agree, but they got it done!

Sandra loved her people and there were many she claimed beyond family! To all of Sandra’s friends her family wishes to convey their deep gratitude to you all for being such a special part of her life!

Sandra was a strong believer in giving blood and did so as often as they would allow her. She said you never know when someone might need it!

Sandra loved her animals and spent many hours working with her dogs in later years. I truly believe she chose Great Danes as they were the closest she could get to horses. She was part of the Great Dane Rescue in Montana for many years and helped to find homes for Danes when called upon.

Sandra was a member of The Daughter’s of Norway and the Norwegian community in Butte and worked with them to bring the Norwegian culture to her home town. Heritage was important to her and she researched her family heritage and taught it to her children and grandchildren. She loved to make lefsa for our family every year. A few years ago, we were able to get Mom to confirm the recipe so we could make it with her one last time. It was a beautiful day with two of her sisters, her daughters, granddaughter and Great granddaughters. Although she couldn’t do all the work, she supervised us well until we got the first few made and then she was off to enjoy her lefsa while we continued.

Sandra will be dearly missed by us all and the world will never be the same without her. She gave so much to the community, her family and her friends. No matter what was happening in her life, if someone needed help, she would give it, no strings attached.

Mom fought hard most of her life but she took it in stride and kept moving forward. Only the people closest to her saw her struggles, to most of the world they only saw her strength.

Mom never quit on anything in life. She would persist until she got the outcome she wanted. We never realized how difficult it would be to put our mother on paper. There are no words to convey what a truly special and beautiful person she was to everyone she met. If you truly wish to honor Sandra, love deeply, help others, stand firm and never quit!

I found the following poem in Mom’s wallet and she lived by this poem!

When things go wrong, and they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low, and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don’t quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won had he stich it out. Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, It’s when things seem worse, That you must not quit.

The family would like to extend an invitation to all the family and friends of Ronald and Sandra Peterson to join the Facebook Group that has been created in their memory. Please share pictures, thought and memories!

www.facebook.com/ www.facebook.com/groups/ronaldsandrapetersonmemories

Sandra’s Celebration of Life will be held July 2, 2025, at The Church of the Big Hole, Melrose, Montana, at 10:00 am. burial at the Melrose Cemetery following the service. A potluck lunch at the Melrose Bar at 11:30 am.