Kristina Peters

Kristina Marie Peters, recently of Butte, passed away the morning of March 12, 2012. She had lived in Billings from 1957 to 2010.

She was born in Atlantic, Iowa, on the farm of Lulu and Herluf Hansen, on May 3, 1928. Her mother was a schoolteacher; her father, an innovative farmer who wired most of the neighboring farms.

One of her fondest memories was of her and her four sisters dancing and singing Christmas songs together while her mother played the piano.

After high school, she moved to San Francisco, where she met Don Peters at a church youth group. They were married on Aug. 27, 1948, later moving to Bozeman for his college, settling in Billings.

She had a cherry tree that was sent from her folks from the family farm in Iowa, and was planted at a place of honor, right over the septic tank. She quickly won fame for her cherry pie. Whenever her church had a pie sale, her pies were among the first to sell.

She loved spending the day squatting down and tilling the soil around her garden, planting roses, getting the tulip bulbs out and putting them back in every season. She had a beautiful garden in front of her house.

She was a very active member of her church, Grace United Methodist, volunteering whenever she was needed. The shy farm girl went out on the streets fundraising for UNESCO, visiting shut-ins, or church members with Alzheimer's, cooking and working on many church rummage sales - whatever was asked of her.

Now that we are telling people of her passing, everyone - everyone - has said the exact same thing, "She was such a sweet lady."

In addition to her husband, Don, she was preceded in death by her parents and sisters Elizabeth Brandmeyer and Phyllis Walk.

She is survived by sons Scott of Washington, D.C., and John of Butte; and two grandchildren, Jessica and Daniel, whom she dearly loved. She is also survived by her sisters and brothers-in-law, June and Tom Hurley, and Margaret and Victor Bohls; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Cremation has taken place. Funeral services will take place in Billings at Grace United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.

In lieu of flowers, Kris would like memorials be made to www.smiletrain.org or umcor.org.

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