Virginia Milly Peterson was born in Spearfish, South Dakota, on Oct. 23, 1921, daughter of Orval Gaston Williams and Flora Belle Adele (Parsons) Williams. She graduated from Deadwood High School in 1940. 

In the fall of 1941 she took a great leap of faith, leaving the small town of Deadwood, S.D. on a Greyhound bus for the big city of San Francisco.  It was there she met David Peterson, a member of the Army Air Corps, and they were married only six months later on Nov. 14, 1943.

After the war they moved to Alameda where Virginia raised two children, daughter Linda and son Dennis, and was active in her community. She was a dedicated member of Trinity Lutheran Church and a behind-the-scenes organizer of “Christmas Tree Lane” on Thompson Avenue where she lived for more than 50 years. She was also an accomplished seamstress and baker and she loved to play bridge. 

Virginia is survived by her daughter Linda (Gary) Woehl, granddaughter Elisabeth; her son Dennis (Yolanda) Peterson, grandson Kyle, granddaughter Marieka (Marshall) Greene, great granddaughter Nora. She was preceded in death by her husband of 69 years, David, her parents, her two brothers Van and Donald and her sister Twila. 
She will be remembered for her meticulous attention to detail, her strawberry-rhubarb pies, and her surprising sense of humor. 

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 14, at 11 a.m., at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1323 Central Ave. in Alameda. In lieu of flowers, the family have asked that you make a contribution to your favorite charity in memory of Virginia Peterson.