St. George, Utah - Our dear mother, aunt and friend, Florence Gertrude Petersen Packard passed away September 1, 2012, just two months shy of her 97 ^th birthday. She was born in Sandy, Utah on November 1, 1915 to Louis and Gertrude Alvinnie Olsen Petersen following the birth of five brothers into the Petersen family. She was the first of three girls, so the boys did most of the farm work unless they could talk her into it.

They had a good time even though her mother died in 1928 leaving her father to fill both roles in the family. She helped out in her home and learned the finer arts of cooking during this time even though she was only 13 years old. Her younger sister, Eva, had passed away in child birth, leaving Florence and her other sister, Vivian to pick up the household chores. Her father taught school so things usually needed to be right. They had a gully beside their home in Sandy and the boys strung a long line from the top to the bottom which they slid down so they all had lots of fun. They were farm kids all the way.

World War II got into full swing and without telling her father, Florence joined the Marine Corp just because everyone else was doing it. She went to Cherry Point, North Carolina for training as an Air Traffic Controller and then stayed there for the duration of the European War. They sent her and her group to San Diego to await shipment to Hawaii to serve as an Air Traffic Controller in an effort to help with the war in Japan. But the war with Japan ended on September 2, 1945 and she was sent home. Her father said she should go to the Salt Lake Airport which she did and got a job as the First Air Traffic Controller in Utah and one of the first in the United States.

There she met Ira Packard who worked as a Tower Operator at the Salt Lake Airport. They married May 3, 1955 in Elko, Nevada and bought a home in Murray, Utah. They had their daughter, Linda Packard, in 1957 and they both continued working at the airport until Florence found Ira was not giving Linda vegetables when it was his turn to tend and that ended his tending activities. She quit her job and stayed home with Linda full time and loved it and fed her vegetables every day. In 1985, Linda told her Mom and Dad she was going to the temple to receive her endowments. They were stunned but hurried and got ready and went with her.

After Ira passed away in 2000, Florence and Linda moved to St. George, Utah to be closer to Florences niece, Sandra Gilbert.

Florence was the last to pass in her family, after her brothers: Moyle Burdette, Max Stewart, Roger K., Glen Allen and Ray Louis Petersen; and her sister, Vivian. She is survived by her daughter, Linda Packard of St. George, Utah.

She will be honored at a funeral service on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at the Bloomington Hills LDS 6 ^th Ward Chapel, 750 Fort Pierce Drive, St. George, Utah. Visitations will be held Wednesday evening from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West St. George Blvd. and on Thursday, prior to services, at 10:00 a.m. at the Bloomington Hills LDS 6 ^th Ward Relief Society Room. Graveside services will be held Friday, September 7, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. at the Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 East 4580 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221.

Our thanks go out to the people of Beehive Homes in St. George and Zions Way Hospice for all their loving and attentive care.