Love Stories: Petersons’ love spans 70 years

“What a ride,” laughed 95-year-old Lloyd Peterson as he described his journey from Wisconsin to Washington in 1937 in a Model A Ford.

“The roads were all gravel. There were no freeways,” he said.

The day after their July 14, 1937, wedding, Lloyd and Genevieve Peterson hit the road with their friend, Oley Larson.

“Oley came over one night and said, ‘I’m going west.’ We joined him,” Lloyd Peterson said.

“Took us six days to get out here,” Genevieve Peterson, 94, interjected. “And if there was anything scenic, Oley would pull over to see whatever it was.”

“They thought we were coming out for a vacation,” Lloyd Peterson said. “It really was a very unsure move. I didn’t have much money.”

Like many people during the Great Depression, the Petersons eked out a living with few conveniences and a will of iron. They reflect on those difficult years with blunt honesty.

“Those were hard times. They had these soup kitchens, and lots of people couldn’t find work. We were dumb enough to think that coming here, as strangers, we could get started. Lucky we had a couple of friends, and that was our moral support,” Lloyd Peterson said.

“We’re tough Norwegians,” his wife added.

Born in 1912 and 1913 respectively, Lloyd and Genevieve Peterson came from Wisconsin farm families.

“We grew up in the same small town, but it wasn’t until I graduated from high school that we started dating,” Genevieve Peterson said.

The couple dated for six years – a long time for most people, then and now.

“Well, it was the height of the Depression,” she explained. “It was tough going, and he had a mother, brother and sister to support.”

“My dad passed away when I was 16. I worked for the school district, maintaining the high school and grade school for about six years,” Lloyd Peterson said.

But in the winter of 1937 when “it was 53 degrees below zero for three days,” he was ready for a change.

When they arrived in Spokane, construction of Grand Coulee Dam was under way and orchards were abundant. Genevieve found a job at The Crescent department store.

“They didn’t hire married women, so I worked as a single girl,” she said. “Three or four months later, I had to quit being a single girl because I got pregnant.”

In the meantime, Lloyd Peterson worked at odd jobs until 1942, when he started working for AM Corporation Services.

“I retired from there in 1979,” he said.

Over the years, Genevieve Peterson worked periodically at The Crescent and The Bon Marche in addition to being a housewife and mother.

In 1955, the Petersons bought their South Hill home for $9,000. Their sons graduated from Lewis and Clark High School, served in the Air Force and share a passion for art.

Several paintings grace the Petersons’ walls; as they discussed each son’s painting, their pride was evident.

Their oldest, Michael, is a career Air Force man and lives in Maryland. Their youngest, Mark, served in Vietnam and lives in Montana, pursuing his artistic passion.

The Petersons have one grandson in Maryland.

“We don’t hear from him much,” the Petersons admitted. “It’s too bad, really,” Genevieve Peterson said.

“Families are starting to fall apart,” Lloyd Peterson said, conceding that in his own family, he “was on the road too much.”

“They don’t get together like they used to,” he said. “They don’t have a chance to talk or find out what’s happened.”

“Well, that’s a point,” Genevieve Peterson said. “But I don’t think it’s so bad.”

These days, Lloyd Peterson stays busy “mowing the lawn, puttering around. I’m not too worried about what I do.”

Genevieve Peterson remains active with her friends and garden club, and she has been selling Avon products for 30 years.

“She still sells the stuff,” her husband said, but he stays out of her business. “That’s what you call interference.”

Both agree that the congregation at Central Lutheran Church has been family to them.

And every Friday night, they venture to Lincoln Heights for a dinner date. “That’s as far as I can get him to go these days,” Genevieve Peterson said.

Says Lloyd Peterson: “She was always a good conversationalist. I’m more shy.”

“Well, I’ve learned that you meet people with an open mind and an open heart. I’ve enjoyed meeting people,” Genevieve Peterson said.

The couple share a no-nonsense take on life. Divorce was never considered, problems were handled calmly, joys were celebrated quietly and success is attributed to simply “getting up every morning.”

“That’s about it,” Genevieve Peterson laughed.

The couple reflect on the changes they’ve seen. “We’ve ridden in a Model A Ford and saw a man walk on the moon. Not too many people can say that,” Lloyd Peterson said.

This month, the Petersons will celebrate 70 years of marriage.

“July 14,” Lloyd Peterson said proudly. “I haven’t been able to forget it.”