Obituary: Petersen, Evelyn E.
(Age 83)
Evelyn E. Petersen was born February 5, 1929 in Sandpoint Idaho.
She was the oldest child of five children born to Edward and Opal Clark.
She grew up on the family farm located near Scotchman Mountain in Clark Fork, Idaho.
Evelyn and her siblings learned how to create a life in the wilderness from their hardworking parents.
They raised potatoes, picked huckleberries, logged, and sold cedar posts among a few of their enterprises.
She attended School in Clark Fork and played on the Clark Fork High basketball team.
Evelyn moved to Spokane in her senior year and attended North Central High School.
She married Clarence Yates of Spokane, WA and had two children, Sherry Briggs of Davenport, WA and Gerry Yates of Spokane.
Evelyn later married Raymond Petersen who preceded her in death and resided in Spokane until her death on October 18, 2012.
Evelyn had a talent for Floral Design and became a prominent floral designer winning many awards and owned several florist shops in Spokane.
Evelyn was an avid gardener and taught Floral Design at Spokane Falls Community College Adult Education.
Evelyn was a determined, hardworking soul.
She attended Whitworth College while working full time and owning her own businesses.
Her greatest accomplishment was becoming a Christian in her mid-adult years.
She loved to attend church and Bible studies.
She was very active in several Church of Christ congregations in Spokane.
She developed Alzheimer’s in her later years which became her greatest challenge but even with the disease crippling her ability to think clearly and be physically active she was involved with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She taught us so much about endurance, love, giving, mercy, forgiveness and faith.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, brother Girard Clark, and sister Ella Mae Johnson.
Evelyn is survived by two brothers, Emory Clark of Spokane and Edward (Burns) Clark of Congress Arizona, her daughter Sherry Briggs, son Gerry Yates, daughter-in-law Rosa Yates, ten grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews.
Those who’s lives Evelyn touched will be forever enhanced.
We will miss her very much.
Evelyn’s Funeral Service will be at Heritage Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Friday October 26th 2012.