Johnny C. Petersen, 71, of La Grande, a former Baker City resident, died June 21, 2008.
There will be a celebration of his life at 2 p.m. Sunday at Valley Fellowship Church in La Grande.
Johnny was born on July 3, 1936, at Baker City to Gerald Petersen and Lula Davis Cantrell.
He grew up under the loving and watchful eye of his grandparents, John and Minnie Davis, on their ranch near North Powder. He was an Eagle Scout and attended the National Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pa., in 1950 along with 47,000 other Scouts.
He graduated from North Powder High School and was married to his high school sweetheart, Tam, from 1955 to 1983. They had five children.
He also served in the Oregon National Guard. He worked for Safeway for many years and at the Edward Hines Lumber Co. at Hines, for several years before his retirement.
He was a descendent of John S. Davis and Susan Dealy Davis, who homesteaded the family ranch in North Powder in 1872, and Chris and Rosella Petersen who were Baker County pioneers.
First and foremost John loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his family said. He was a living example of Christ’s love to his family, friends and strangers.
His favorite pastimes included working in his yard and talking with his family. He called family members weekly with words of encouragement and lessons from scripture. He never complained about his multiple sclerosis or its symptoms, and he beat cancer five years ago without complaint, family members said.
Many of his friends were unaware of the seriousness of his illness because of his positive attitude and his way of turning the conversation away from himself and toward the others or the Lord, they added.
Survivors include his loving wife, Jan, with whom he had 12 happy years in La Grande; his five children and their spouses, Mike and Debbie Petersen of Paulina, Gregg and Patty Petersen of Cornelius, Jeff and Joanne Petersen of Beaverton, Steve and Teresa Petersen of Warrenton and Amy and Matt Basey of Hines; 14 grandchildren; and his sisters, Patsy Patterson, Dorthy Omohondro, and Linda Clauson, and their husbands and children.
Loveland Funeral Chapel and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, June 27, 2008
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor