Sheila Kathleen Peterson

-- Sheila Kathleen Peterson passed away Thursday, July 6, 2017, surrounded by her family. She would have turned 79 on July 19.

Born in 1938 to Homer Hustead, who was a logger in northwestern Montana, and Verda King Hustead, Sheila was the youngest of their three daughters. Her eldest sister Zelda Poulson passed away in Nevada just six weeks ago. Colleen Harrison was also her older sister. When Sheila was a toddler, her parents divorced. Her mother later married Frank Groom in Plains and Sheila grew up with them on a cattle ranch on the south shore of Flathead Lake. When Sheila was 11, her baby sister Mary Lee was born, and Sheila proceeded to be the best big sister in the world. Sheila was a talented horsewoman, and she could skate rings around the neighborhood kids on local ponds. She learned early to cook, and plied her younger sibling with cookies, string bean sandwiches and ice cream made from fresh snow. Sheila attended Sacred Heart in Missoula briefly, and Polson High School.

Sheila had three children with Baptiste Malatare: Bob, John and Judy. Bob was adopted by his Groom grandparents, but knew from early childhood that Sheila was his mother. John and Judy were, much later, adopted by Sheila’s husband Bob Peterson. Sheila had three children from her marriage to Bill Gilleard: Clay, Loni and Nancy. In 1970 Sheila married the love of her life, Bob Peterson. Bob had five children: Tony, Patty, Greg, Michael and Gayle. Bob and Sheila had a daughter, Roberta Jo, “Bobbi.”

It’s probably unnecessary to say that Bob and Sheila made the Brady Bunch look like pikers. While Bob worked for the railroad, Sheila stayed home to make a real home for their large family. She was famous for her homemade bread. She kept cookie jars full for her husband as much as for her children. She made huge pots of chili and stew using game that the family, including Sheila herself, harvested every fall. Fall hunting camp was one of the highlights of her year. Any weekend with survivable weather would find Sheila and Bob camping with their family, even into the children’s adulthood. Their most recent camping trip with their kids and kids’ kids was Father’s Day. The family grew a large vegetable garden, and Bob raised livestock for their consumption. Sheila helped to create a close-knit family from the time her children were toddlers. She was an excellent mother. Her kids knew she would “kill them” if they messed up, and yet when they did mess up, Sheila always had a work-around. There was always a way to make things better, to turn a disaster into an adventure. Sheila was known for her forgiving heart, tolerance and compassion. When some of her teenagers left home and began to thin the ranks, she took in foster children. She informally adopted every stray who came through her door. In later years, she loved spending time with her grandchildren, whom one often found in her kitchen, helping Grandma make cookies, licking the spoon, chattering, being loved. In all the ways that matter, Sheila was rich beyond comparison, and we are richer for having had her in our lives.

Sheila is survived by her husband Robert Peterson; her children John Peterson (Jo), Judy Peterson Morris (Chip), Clay Gilleard (Terri Lynn), Loni Gilleard, Nancy Gilleard, and Bobbi Ailport (Brice) ; her stepchildren Patty Peterson Bigelow, Tony Peterson (Susan), Gayle Peterson Kelly (Steve), and Greg Peterson (Sandy); 41 grandchildren, 58 great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Mary Groom Hall, two nieces and three nephews, and a multitude of cousins spread across the West. Her parents, older sisters, stepson Michael, and son Bob preceded her in death. We trust she is with them now.

The family would like to thank St. Patrick’s ICU staff of physicians and nurses for their attentive and professional care and their kindness to us.