Frances Arlene Peterson

Frances Arlene (Arthur) Peterson, 78, passed away in Moore at her cousins Don & Joann Nelson’s home on Tuesday morning of natural causes. She was born October 31, 1937 in St. Joseph Hospital in Lewistown the daughter James W. and O. Ruth (Dillon) Arthur. She grew up on a small farm/ranch about six miles southwest of Suffolk, MT that her parents rented from Frank Clow and land they rented from John Montgomery.  Her parents bought three additional farm lands that joined the rented lands on the East and South. 

Frances grew up with her two sisters and three bothers and attended grade school at the Salt Creek grade school 1 ½ miles west of the farm/ranch she grew up on. She boarded with families in Lewistown while attending Fergus High School, graduating in 1958.

Frances learned to cook at twelve years of age and did the cooking during haying and harvesting while her mother drove the pickup and truck and helped her father haul the hay and grain. Frances liked to make bread, garden, embroider and tat. She helped haul wash water and drinking water from a well and wood and coal for household use.
From the fall of 1958 until the fall of 1971, Frances did live in housekeeping and some live in patient care in Lewistown, Denton and other small towns and on farms near Lewistown. While she was taking care of Gordon Clark’s four children, cooking, cleaning on his farm near Geraldine, MT, she met Bob Peterson, a carpenter. Frances moved back to Denton and worked continuing to see Bob and working until 1971 in the fall.

On September 27, 1971 Frances was united in marriage to Robert N. Peterson in the Lewistown. After a short honeymoon Frances and Bob went to Fairfield and lived for a couple of years on the farm Bob and his brother Earl bought together. Bob sold his share of the farm to his brother and Frances and Bob moved their small mobile home to farm of 160 acres they purchased five miles east of Fort Benton. They farmed there and carpentered, building and remodeling homes. They raised large gardens and shared some of it with their family and friends.

Frances and Bob served as janitors at the Church in Fort Benton and she also helped in the lunchroom in the school. They continued these jobs in Fort Benton until Bob’s passing in March of 2007. Frances then moved back home with her sisters and brothers as she was not able to live on her own. Later that year they auctioned the small farm and equipment and Frances went to live on the Nelson’ farm near Moore, MT.

Frances is survived by two sisters Delores L. Melik of Hilger, MT and Amanda B. Cecrle of Lewistown, MT; two brothers Thomas W. (Carolyn) Arthur and Homer L. (Susan) Arthur; one sister-in-law Cherry Arthur all of Hilger, MT several nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Frances was preceded in death by her husband in 2007, her parents and one brother James E.

Funeral Services for Frances A. Peterson will be held Monday, September 12th at 11:00 a.m. in the Cloyd Chapel with interment to be at 3:30 p.m. in Riverside Cemetery in Fort Benton, MT. The Cloyd Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Friends are asked to make memorial to the charity of their choice and they may be left at the Cloyd Funeral Home.