Jeanette Peterson

Jeanette Marcene Peterson, of Moscow, died Saturday at age 98. She was the oldest of four daughters born in Alexandria, Minnesota to Ted and Helen Mielke Venske. Known as The Venske Girls, Jeanette and her sisters were very close throughout their lives, keeping in touch via weekly phone calls and enjoying many vacations together. Her last remaining sister died just four days prior.

Jeanette graduated college in 1947 from McPhail Center for Music and was a K-12 choir director and vocal music instructor at several Minnesota elementary schools. Her adventurous spirit led her to Denver where she met a special fellow musician on the tennis courts. She and Floyd Peterson wed in 1955 and spent early years of their marriage in the Midwest. Three rambunctious boys joined the family before Floyd's career brought them to Moscow in 1969, where Jeanette began teaching private piano lessons from their home. She shared her love of music with hundreds of students over the years, and once wrote that a life goal of hers was "to show people the way to music; that it isn't just for those who have a natural liking for it or those who have studied it, but rather it is for everyone."

Jeanette was the classiest of ladies with a beautiful broad smile. She led a rich social life that included countless university music recitals and faculty parties, active participation in Pleiades, PEO, the Faculty Wives Club, and countless dinners with dear friends in their covered dish group. She loved hosting get togethers, often inviting friends from various social circles to help others make new acquaintances. A decades-long member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Jeanette was a member of Mary Circle and sang in the church choir for many years.

From 1976 to 1990, Jeanette and Floyd operated Haystack Gallery, a photo and art gallery in Cannon Beach, Oregon, where her smile and welcoming personality made it difficult for visitors to leave without a purchase. They also loved to travel, whether it was camping near a local river, making a 13,000-mile RV trip around the US, or several trips abroad to England, Spain and Morocco.

Aside from who she was to the outside world, Jeanette was most importantly a loving matriarch with unwavering support for her sons and their families. We already miss the lively family dinners, her famous lasagna, and Christmas Eve at her house when we all looked forward to the quirky stocking stuffers she came up with each year.

Jeanette was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sisters Darleen Gardiner, Virginia Johnson and LaVonne Venske, and one niece. She is survived by a niece, nephew and her three sons: Cris of Pullman, Jeff (Tami) of Vancouver, Washington, and Kevin (Anne) of Moscow. She will be missed by six grandchildren and their families: Ryan (Kassandra) Delacour and Jayden, Madison, Conner; Amy (Zach) Lichte and Kaelyn, Parker; Kyle Peterson (Kenzie Campbell); Kirstyn Griswold (Tim Melcher) and Mason; Hannah Goudge (Grayson Williams) and Avery; and Maddie Goudge.

The family would like to especially thank the compassionate and caring staff at Hill House Memory Care, and suggests donations be directed to Hill House or one of Jeanette’s favorite non-profits: Moscow Chapter “O” of PEO International, Salvation Army, or Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

Short's Funeral Chapel will be open for visitation on Thursday, December 11, 2025 from 4 to 7 pm. Pastor Sierra Westerman will officiate the funeral at Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Moscow on December 12th at 11:00 a.m., followed by a light lunch. Jeanette will be laid to rest next to Floyd at the Moscow Cemetery.