Zetta Peterson

On September 6th, 2013, Zetta Benson Peterson went with joy to the waiting arms of her husband, best friend and constant companion of 62 years, Dr. Edwin L. Peterson.
Zetta and Eddie had a love that is rarely found and it kept them both happy all the years of their lives together. Zetta was a loving wife, a wonderful mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was a teacher, dancer, a lover of books, words, music, and people. She was everyone’s best friend and favorite relative, always full of contagious happiness and the joy of living.
Zetta was born in Whitney, Idaho, on August 20th, 1916, one of the eight remarkable children of Serge Ballif and Linda Nelson Benson. Zetta was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, living most of her life in the Logan Fourth Ward, which was built under the direction of her father who was Bishop there for many years.
Zetta graduated from Logan High School and Utah State University, where she was affiliated with Chi Omega Sorority, majoring in Dance and Physical Education. She taught Health and Physical Education in the Cedar City and Logan City schools. She taught her own phenomenal mixture of Modern and Creative dance everywhere she lived and passed on the joy of the dance to many young hearts.
After Zetta and Eddie were married they lived in Cedar City where Zetta was active in school and church, worked with Faculty League serving several years as President. Their first child, Leita, was born in Logan in 1941. Leita was eight months old when the U.S. entered World War II. Eddie, a Reserve Officer immediately accepted an active duty commission. Zetta returned to Logan where she was ‘drafted’ to teach physical education and health at Logan Junior High. When Eddie, having survived a near death bout of malaria, returned from Panama, Zetta and Leita accompanied him to military assignments in various parts of the United States until the end of the war.
After the war they returned to civilian life in Cedar City, Zetta taught health, physical education and dance at Cedar High and dance at Southern Utah College. Her dance revues were large and beautifully done, always enjoyed by the audience and remembered by the participants. Daughters Lizette and Edwina were born in Cedar City during this time. The family spent another year in California while Eddie finished his PhD and a year in Washington D.C., where Zetta stayed at home with the children and taught primary, Mutual and acted as Stake Dance Coordinator.
After returning to Utah, the family located in Logan and was completed with the addition of Edwin Theodore. Zetta was active in Faculty League at Utah State University. She held many offices in P.T.A. and Daughters of the Utah Pioneers where she served as Captain of the Brigham Young Camp and Cache County D.U.P. She enjoyed her membership in A.C. Woman’s Club for many years and was also a member of Utah State Emeriti, Old Main Society, Ex Libros, and Los Del Libros. Zetta was very active in the American Legion Auxiliary and assisted her husband in the founding USU. Legion Post #7. She and Eddie attended many National Legion Conventions in many states, including Hawaii. In later years Zetta joined Eddie in helping create the "Voter Awareness Program", with USU Extension, to teach citizenship to High School Seniors. For fourteen years they presented this program to High Schools in the State of Utah and other states. Zetta loved to travel and accompanied friends and family to Europe, China, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Alaska and the Caribbean.
Zetta and Eddie loved being together more than anything in the world. Together they read, fished, played cards, hunted, skied, hiked, played golf, sang, talked and laughed for many thousand hours. They were parents to whom family always came first and learning was a way of life. All four of their children graduated from Utah State University and completed advanced degrees. Zetta and Eddie loved Utah Shakespearian Festival, the Utah Festival Opera, and any and all Aggie cultural and sporting events.
Zetta was a fantastic cook and was an expert at parties, celebrations and all occasions for joy. Zetta loved people and loved doing things for people. She was truly the embodiment of the words: "Live, Love, Laugh."
Zetta was preceded in death by her husband of sixty one years, Edwin Loose Peterson, and her daughter Lizette Peterson Homer (Andrew.) She is survived by two daughters, Leita Peterson of Los Angeles, California and Edwina Peterson Cross, (Verlin) of Ashland Oregon, one son, Edwin T. Peterson, (Laquita) of Vernal, Utah; eleven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, September 13, 2013 in the Logan 4th Ward Chapel, 294 North 100 East in Logan. A viewing will be held on Thursday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 East Center Street in Logan, and prior to the services on Friday from 9:00 to 10:15 AM at the church. Interment will be in the Logan City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenmortuaries.net