Alice Marie (Hedrick) Peterson, 81, a lifelong resident of the Stanford area, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2025, after a six-year battle with metastatic breast cancer.
Born on December 29, 1943, in Great Falls, Montana, Alice grew up in the Sage Creek area east of Stanford and graduated from Stanford High School.
Alice married her high school sweetheart, Orrin "Gary" Peterson, also a Stanford High graduate. They established their home on the family farm in Arrow Creek Township, 15 miles north of Stanford, where they raised their family. Alice was a dedicated partner, actively helping Gary with the fields and the cattle throughout his life. As their children grew older, she also worked as a mail sorter at the Stanford post office.
Following Gary's passing, Alice continued to manage the remaining farm with the help of her youngest daughter, Kristi. Alice was known for her active mind and strong work ethic, always keeping a list of chores to be done.
Alice's greatest joy was her family. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, following their pursuits both in person and through conversation. She enjoyed playing games and doing puzzles with her family, particularly over the holidays. Christmas was a cherished time for Alice, and she delighted in putting up an extensive array of decorations inside and outside her house every year.
Alice was an inspiration to her family, friends, and medical professionals. She showed incredible strength and courage during her prolonged health battle, maintaining a positive spirit of determination. She always looked forward to the next big family occurrence and was dedicated to staying as healthy as possible to be an active participant.
Alice was preceded in death by her parents, James Robert (“JR”) and Mary Hedrick; her husband, Orrin "Gary" Peterson; brothers Jim, Fritz, and an unnamed infant brother; and her grandson, Kyle.
She is survived by her four children and their spouses: Karen (Peterson) and Shane Hendrickson; Kent and Kristina (Villones) Peterson; Kelly (Peterson) and Jason Nelson; and Kristi (Peterson) and Ron Lynn. She also leaves behind 13 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, her sisters Vernelda (Hedrick) Bumgarner and Virginia (Hedrick) Dye, and her brothers Larry (“Charlie”) and Jerry ("Ike").
The family will hold a private funeral. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Judith Basin County Food Pantry.
To share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
