Kern County CA Archives Obituaries.....Peterson, Bernard F. "Ben" December 14, 2005 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K T bluewolf@onemain.com January 11, 2006, 9:49 pm The Bakersfield Californian Peterson, Bernard F. "Ben" 1923 - 2006 Bernard F. Peterson "Ben" May 22, 1923 - December 14, 2005 Bernard F. "Ben" Peterson passed away December 14, 2005 at the age of 80. Ben was born May 22, 1923 in Lomita, CA and was one of 7 children born to Bernard and Blanche Peterson. The family lived in Lomita for many years until they moved to Coalinga, CA when Ben was in high school. After graduating from Coalinga High School in 1942, Ben joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 and was a radioman stationed in Hawaii. During his service in the Navy, he had the honor of serving on the staff of Fleet Admiral C.W. Nimitz and was transferred to the USS Missouri where he witnessed the historic surrender signing on Sept. 2, 1945 and the end of World War II. After 3 years in the Navy, Ben attended St. Marys College in Moraga, CA and earned a bachelors degree in business. He followed his fathers footsteps and worked in the oil patch. He was employed by Standard Oil, Gulf and Regan and Forge Engineering before starting his own business, Renco Inc. in 1969. A long time resident of Ventura, Ben married Kay Johnson on September 9, 1961 in Bakersfield, CA. Ben had many passions in his life. One was his love of flying. He received his pilots license in 1977 and shared a Cessna Cardinal plane with his friend Dick Miller. He also loved the home he bought in 1960 and shared with his wife Kay until his passing. Ben enjoyed many activities including traveling, golfing, fishing, reading and crossword puzzles. He will be remembered as a kind and thoughtful man who was very gregarious and touched many people throughout his life. Ben lived a full life with many close, longtime friends. Ben was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Arthur and his nephew Tony Scales. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Kay; his brother Robert (Pat); his sisters, Patt, Barbara (Blaine), Marge (Glyn), and Evelyn (late husband Gilbert); Helen his sister-in- law and numerous nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank all those who helped during his battle with leukemia, especially Dr. Michael Lill and the staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Dr. William Charles and his staff in Ventura. A memorial service will be held at St. Francis Church, 900 H Street, Bakersfield on January 31, 2006 at 10 a.m. with Father Craig officiating. In lieu of flowers, please honor Ben with a memorial donation to the California Oil Museum, POB 48, Santa Paula, CA 93060; Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301 or the R.M. Pyles Boys Camp, 27211 Henry Mayo Drive, Valencia, CA 91355. We will cherish our memories of Ben and he will live on in the hearts of his family and friends forever. Death is not a period, but a comma in the story of life. Amos Tarver Legacy.com Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 1/11/2006. Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased No other information available from submitter. Obituaries http://www.legacy.com/bakersfield/LegacyHome.asp File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/p/peterson1596gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 3.6 Kb