Lorrayne Roberts Peterson
April 18, 1928 - January 6, 2015
(Ida) Lorrayne Roberts Peterson passed away peacefully Jan. 6, 2015, at her home in Moses Lake. Lorrayne was born April 18, 1928, in Livingston, Mont, to Doris Mae (Abbie) and Frank Roberts, and lived her childhood in Gardiner, Mont., and Yellowstone Park, where her father worked on roads for the park service. She had great stories of living the summers in tents or travel trailers in the park, even getting chased by bears. She also spent some years in Death Valley and Las Vegas.
Lorrayne moved to Soap Lake while in high school, when her father helped put in the airport in Moses Lake. She was an Apple Blossom Princess and attended Central Washington State College in Ellensburg. Lorrayne married Lawrence D. Peterson in 1947, and they lived in Ephrata before moving to Moses Lake. They had three children, but also opened their home to foster children and exchange students. Lorrayne was an involved mother, with school activities, PTA and Scouts. She made beautiful tricycle floats for the ML Kiddies Parades and helped take a troop of high school Girl Scouts to Mexico one year over Christmas.
In her life, Lorrayne was a dental assistant, taught arts at the women's Job Corps, and worked for a local architect. She created the authentic petroglyph tiles displayed at the Wanapum Dam Visitors Center. She supported many local causes - the library, food bank, and Rotary, but literacy was most dear to her heart. She tutored adult readers, she and Larry sponsored a Chinese family for citizenship, and Lorrayne started and was president and fundraiser for the Moses Lake Literacy Council. Lorrayne and Larry traveled extensively, including Australia, Mexico, Sweden, Canary Islands, Siberia, China, and Ireland, but her favorite was Guatemala, where they helped deliver school books to mountain villages. Lorrayne loved arts and world cultures. She enjoyed feeding the wild birds and growing flowers. She was a supportive friend and second mom to many.
Lorrayne was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Larry. She is survived by her three children, Brian (Puyallup), Nancy (Ocean Shores) and Jeanne-Marie (Soap Lake), six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, three nephews and a niece, her brother Bob Roberts, a cousin Jerry Abbie, and her two cats, Milo and Sophie. The family thanks Linda Estrada for her good care of Lorrayne.
A memorial service will be held in the spring. Please sign the online guestbook or leave a note for the family at www.kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are in care of Kayser's Chapel & Crematory, Moses Lake. Inurnment was in Guarding Angels Cemetery, Moses Lake.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Peterson Nursing Scholarship at BBCC.