Apr. 18, 1923 - Jun. 11, 2017
Date of Service: Jun. 17, 2017
BUHL - William Charlton “Chuck” Petterson, age 94, of Buhl, Idaho, passed away peacefully Sunday, June 11, 2017, at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center, Twin Falls, Idaho, of natural causes.
Chuck was born in his maternal grandparents’ home in Oakley, Idaho, on April 18, 1923. He was born to Swen Nathneal Petterson, who was born in Sweden, and Margaret Elizabeth (Poulton) Petterson, who was born in Oakley, Idaho.
Chuck lived in Churchill, an area just outside of Oakley. He started working in the fields and doing other farm chores at the early age of ten. He graduated from Burley High School after the family had settled in Burley. After high school graduation, he decided it was time to make his own way in life, so he started raising beans and working in the spud harvest. He soon met Mabel Banner through some mutual friends and they began their courtship by dating at the Y-Dell dance hall. They later married on June 25, 1945, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were blessed with five children. Shortly after his marriage, he was drafted into the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He loved to tell the story of how he caught a ride on General Patton’s personal airplane.
During his lifetime, Chuck had several occupations, which included stringing telephone lines using a horse, farming, selling equipment for Mini-Cassia Equipment, trading cattle, and, buying and selling horses. He owned two laundromats, one in Burley and one in Rupert, a livestock sale yard in Le Grande, Oregon, and West 5 Points Sporting Goods Store in Twin Falls. Of all his various professions, he enjoyed selling dairy heifers in Jerome the most. His hobby was dabbling in horse racing, which he loved, but it never made him rich.
Over his lifetime he has lived in Oakley, Emmett, Hazelton, Burley (several different times), Texas, Florida, Challis, Gooding, Le Grande, Ore., Wendell, Twin Falls, Jerome, and, Buhl.
He is survived by three sons, William Brent (Cara) Petterson of Burley, Terrell “Tink” Charlton (Dyan) Petterson of Twin Falls, and Tim L (Becke) Petterson of Jerome; one daughter, Dawn Raquel Makin of Boise; 14 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Kerma Lorena Olsen; four brothers, Ernest Leonald, Earl Poulton, Swen Merwin, and Francis Neil Petterson; one daughter, Karen Weatherwax; and two grandsons, Scott Michael Weatherwax and Axel Ray Makin.
A celebration of Chuck’s life will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at his farm located at 1705 E. 4000 N., of Buhl.
A graveside service will be at 12 noon Monday, June 19, at Sunset Memorial Park, 2296 Kimberly Rd., in Twin Falls.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Rasmussen Funeral Home of Burley.
