Jewel Peterson

Jewel Louise Peterson, age 93, of Shell Knob, Missouri, passed away on October 3, 2023. Jewel died peacefully with her eldest daughter by her side.

Jewel Louise Watson was born October 18, 1929 in Mountain Grove, where she graduated from high school. She married Clinton Wayne Peterson on August 10, 1947. Jewel and Wayne moved to California in 1948 where their two oldest daughters, Glora and Sala, were born. The family moved to Oregon in 1955 where their youngest daughter, Gelena, was later born. Wayne and Jewel returned to Missouri in 1990 to be closer to family. Wayne passed away in 1996 and Jewel lived with her daughter and son-in-law, Glora and Bob Kelly, after Wayne’s death.

Jewel was an avid gardener, canner, and homemaker, and a talented quilt-maker, donating countless quilts to The VA Nursing Home and the Pregnancy Care Center. Jewel loved music and learned piano at an early age. She was a devout Christian, teaching Vacation Bible School and often filling the role of pianist in the churches she attended. After returning to Missouri in 1990, Jewel joined The Old-Time Gospel Singers, bringing song and joy to nursing homes around the Mountain Grove area. Jewel was kind and generous, often feeding others who were in need of extra help or company.

Throughout the years, Jewel wore many hats. She worked beside Wayne on large farms in Dever-Conner, Oregon, working fields, and driving corn and grain trucks. In Redmond, they worked together in the potato processing plant Wayne managed. Later, she worked at Patrick’s Hardware Store in Redmond, and in the Redmond High School cafeteria during the time their youngest daughter attended.

Jewel and Wayne loved fishing, hunting, and being in nature, and instilled a deep love of the outdoors and nature in their daughters.

Jewel is survived by her daughters, Glora Kelly and husband, Bob, of Shell Knob, Missouri, Sala Drake and husband, Parrish, of Boonville, Missouri, and Gelena Dedlow and husband, Tim, of Tualatin, Oregon. Jewel was a loving grandmother and great-grandmother and is survived by her grandchildren, Kevin Kelly, Damien Walter, Toby Walter, Ty Dedlow, and Hannah (Dedlow) Vandervelden, and her great-grandchildren, Angelina Kelly, Lex Walter, Hazel Vandervelden and Porter Vandervelden. Jewel will be greatly missed by her family and community.