Joan Peterson Buttrey, 94, passed away on September 2, 2025 in the loving company of family. The family is grateful to the staff at Peace Hospice for their care and support for Joan in her final days.
Joan was born in Red Deer, Alberta and was the youngest of three children. The Peterson family moved to Lethbridge and then on to Cardston where Joan graduated from Cardston High School in 1949. Upon graduation, Joan left for Minneapolis, MN to attend school at the Northwest Institute of Medical Technology, where she graduated as a certified lab technician.
At the age of 19, with her certification in hand, Joan settled in Oregon City, OR where she was employed at the local hospital as a lab technician. She lived in the nurses’ residence so she could save her money, starting a life-long habit of putting money away for the future. She later moved to Hawaii to live with her brother Ken and sister-in-law Helen, but soon returned to medicine working at the National Baptist Hospital in Nashville.
Family ties brought her to Great Falls, MT to join her mother after her father’s passing. The two owned and ran a uniform shop together. At age 31, she met her future husband Frank A. Buttrey when she was on a date at a social, but her date said his friend Frank was quite taken with her. Joan and Frank were married on April 30, 1962.
As a young couple, Frank and Joan enjoyed motorcycle outings together. Frank was a former naval aviator and so Joan studied flying and eventually performed her first solo flight. Frank and Joan raised two children in the LDS church where she taught Sunday school for the kids as they grew up. Joan was always involved in her children’s activities. She was a Camp Fire Girls troop leader and supported Boy Scouts and CMR football.
In later years, Joan took an interest in genealogy and served as a volunteer in the LDS genealogy library. She also maintained a steady gym regime of swimming and weights from age 50 until she was eventually sidelined with degenerative back disease.
Joan is survived by her sister Carol of Lethbridge, Alberta, daughter Lisa (David) of Ashland, OR, son Edward (Jessica) of Great Falls, MT, and three granddaughters (Kenzy, Macy and TayLee).
Those wishing to honor Joan’s memory may do so by making a donation to her charitable organization of choice, the Big Bend Ward Relief Society. Please write checks to Big Bend Ward and mail to PO Box 2907, Great Falls, MT 59403.
A Memorial Service will held on October 6th, at 11 a.m., at the LDS Stake Center, 1401 9th St NW, Great Falls.
To share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
