Barbara Jane Wichert Peterson, 68, of Ephraim, passed away in her home on Sunday, April 25, 2021 of heart failure.
She was born Sept. 5, 1952 in Palo Alto, California, Barbara was the daughter of the late Jack and Nikki Wichert.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ivo Ray Peterson. She is survived by her children: Nikki Marie Elizabeth, Adrian Douglas (Charity) Peterson, and Mären Christina (Spencer) Wendel; her grandchildren Morgan, Warren, Darcy, and Collin Hess, Kairi Peterson, Caleb and Annika Hyer, Archer and Declan Peterson; Amalie, Julia, Peter, and Alia Wendel, and her older brothers Steve Wichert, Geoff (Jillayne Meyer) Wichert, and Doug (Nancy) Wichert.
Barbara received an MFA in Costume Design from the University of Utah, where she met and married Ivo Ray Peterson on Dec. 20, 1974. In addition to starting her mom career in 1977, Barbara worked at Reliable Knitwear of Milwaukee as a knitwear designer and managed the UCI sewing shop at CUCF in Gunnison for 20 years.
She worked with Ivo as the head costume designer of the Mormon Miracle Pageant, overhauling, adding sparkle to, and creating accurate period pieces for the cast. During that time, she also participated in multiple community and college theater productions, and could always be counted on to do whatever over-the-top silliness was called for to make the show more ridiculous and delightful.
Barbara was an excellent letter writer, voracious New Yorker reader, secret kind deed doer, a student of trivia, a slow donut driver, and an excellent tucker-inner. She loved good conversation, laughing, shopping for groceries, fashion, or Christmas heart ornaments with her kids, seeking out art and historical sites, learning, talking to her grandkids, and taking care of lonely critters.
After retiring, Barbara renewed her interest in mosaics, enjoyed meeting with her book club monthly, collaborated to create several pieces of stained glass, and went on walks with Otis, her schnauzer.
Services were held on Saturday, May 1, 2021, at the Ephraim City Co-op building. Barbara’s ashes will be interred with Ivo in the Richfield Cemetery, except for a teeny amount that will be sprinkled clandestinely at Disneyland.
The family wishes to thank friends, neighbors, LDS ward members, Snow College helpers, and all who have supported us through the loss of both Ivo and Barbara over the past year.
