Mrs. Marilyn Louise Petersen's Obituary
Marilyn Louise Dreher Petersen, 80, of Livingston, Texas passed away January 30, 2018. Marilyn was born December 8th 1937 to Celestia C. Engel Dreher and Vincent J. Dreher in Fort Collins, Colorado.
She attended St. Anthony’s School of Nursing in Hays Kansas graduating in 1958. Soon after Marilyn began her career as a nurse at General Rose Hospital in Denver, eventually being promoted to Head Nurse. Marilyn and William A. Petersen Jr. tied the knot February 14, 1963 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Shortly after, Marilyn moved to Houston with Bill and started work at MD Anderson in the Houston Medical Center. In 1964 Marilyn helped to open the new South East Memorial Hospital in Houston as Head Nurse. She continued there until leaving to raise her children.
Marilyn loved to travel, read, garden, dance, watch her hummingbirds, torment her children with gourmet vegetable dishes and was known for her handwritten poignant Christmas letters. In her later years with her husband Bill, they traveled extensively, including RVing across America, driving across the Alps in Europe and fulfilling her childhood dream of going on safari in Kenya.
Marilyn left behind her husband William A. Petersen Jr, her daughters Julianna Raveala, Lori E. LaFour, Christine R. Petersen, Lynette S. Miller and son, William A. Petersen III, nine grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Marilyn was preceded by her Mother and Father, Celestia and Vincent Dreher and her sister Linda S. Dreher.
A memorial will be held at 2pm on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at The Escapees Care Center, 155 Care Center Dr. Livingston Tx 77351.
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