Michael L. Peterson, age 46, passed away at his home in Ovid on November 15, 2001. He was born June 8, 1955, in Montpelier, Idaho, as the first of five children born to LaThair Peterson and Ina Marie (Roberts) Peterson. He was raised on the Peterson Dairy Farm in Ovid, Idaho. 

At age 16 he started his grocery career when he began work during his high school years at the Safeway in Montpelier, Idaho. After he graduated from Bear Lake High School in 1973, he attended LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah. He then served a two-year mission to the Anaheim, California, mission from 1975 to 1977. 

After his honorable release as a missionary, he started back in the grocery business. He began dating Debra Jean Crane whom he married in the Salt Lake City, Utah, Temple on July 14, 1978. Debbie was the daughter of the late Ted Crane and Nadine Gardner of Bennington, idaho. Four children were born to this union, JaNea Marie, Derek M., Tyson M. and Chase M. Peterson. 

They moved to Rexburg, idaho, where they lived from 1978 to 1982 and where he was the assistant manager of the Safeway store there. He returned to Montpelier in 1982 as assistant manager of Safeway, where he soon became manager. As the manager of the Safeway store, He was soon in a position to purchase the business in 1988 and owned and operated independently as Peterson’s IGA, now Peterson’s Jubilee. 

Michael served as bishop of he Liberty Ward from 1990 to 1992. Additionally, he loved music and was a genealogy expert who was often consulted because of his knowledge of the history regarding Ovid, idaho. He loved gardening and spending time making his home and the things that he owned look nice. One of his favorite activities was spending time in the mountains with his family. He will be remembered as someone who loved to make things the best he could, and he always worked his hardest to do his best at any project or assignment or anything he undertook to do. 

He served on the Montpelier Chamber of Commerce and was serving a current term as a member of the Bear Lake Memorial Hospital board of trustees. 

Michael is survived by his wife, Debra of Ovid; daughter JaNea of Logan, Utah, son Derek of Atlanta, Georgia (where he is serving an LDS Mission), sons, Tyson of Ovid and Chase of Ovid; his parents, LaThair and Ina Peterson of Ovid; a sister, Sandra Wright (Jeffrey) of Boise; brothers, Monte Peterson (Kimi) of Blackfoot, Marty Peterson (Verna) of Boise and Mark Peterson (Kris) of Bloomington. 

He will be missed by family, friends and all who knew him and loved him. He will be remembered by many as someone who served others very unselfishly and always with a smile. 

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, November 21, at 12 noon in the Liberty LDS Ward chapel. Friends may call at Matthews Mortuary Tuesday evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Wednesday at the church in Liberty from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Interment will be in the Ovid Cemetery.