Fay Peterson

It is with great sorrow and a heavy heart to announce the sudden passing of our kind, generous and loving wife, mother, sister, and grandmother, Fay Marie Peterson (Unterseher), on April 19^th, 2023.

Born in Hazen, North Dakota on November 16, 1948 to Reinhold and Ella (Wilk) Unterseher. Fay was the oldest of three daughters and a son. Fay was a fun spirited soul who took on many passions. Fay lived her life reaching and connecting with those in her community, and cared deeply for the people around her. She made an impact on many lives and will be forever missed.

Fay lived a life to lead us by example, using her endless talents to bring people together. She was diverse in her ways. Fay loved staying busy in service to God and others, and learned many skills in her life. While attending Beaverhead County High School, Fay worked at her dad’s service station where she pumped gas and chatted with the customers. After high school, she moved to California where she met her first (late) husband Ramon Alvarez. With Fay’s love of people and exceptional accounting skills, they moved to Miami Florida with their daughter Ellisa in tow to start their own restaurant. The church has always been a place for Fay to call home. Serving God has always been one of Fay’s callings. It gave her comfort and strength in difficult times. While living in Miami, she found time in her busy life to continue her calling. She volunteered with the youth group and administrative offices helping work on the weekly bulletins. She was always the first to sign up for anything that had to do with cooking for the congregation. In the early 1980’s Fay, Ellisa and now her son Aldo in tow, they moved their lives to Montana to be closer to family. Fay loved both her children with all her heart. She took so much pleasure in being a Scout leader for Aldo, PTA and of course baking anything that needed to be baked. Fay instilled a deep sense of love for animals, food, and helping others in her children. There wasn’t one of their friends who didn’t call her Mom as well. Fay made sure to let each one of them know they were loved and part of her family as she called them “kid”, put a second helping on their plates and made sure they had a warm jacket to wear home. She was a constant in so many lives. Fay spent the last 25 years of her life returning to her roots in North Dakota where she met and spent the rest of her days hand in hand with the love of her life, Gene Peterson, assisting him in running the day to day operations in his local mechanics shop, Farmer’s Supply. She helped with accounting, running parts, and keeping a smile on everyone’s face when they came to visit. Fay will be the giant hug everyone will miss. Her razzing, humor and laughter will echo in all of us. No one was allowed in her presence without a good ribbing and a joke, from her early days to her last. 

Survived by her husband of 20 years, Gene Peterson, her daughter Ellisa Alvarez, her son Aldo Alvarez,  grand daughter Lila Alvarez and sister Judy Conard as well as stepchildren Robyn Theil, JoAnn Martian, Dale Peterson and many step grandchildren. Fay’s life was filled with the kind of love most people can only ever dream of. She could be found giving back to her community through her efforts and actions within and outside of the church. Fay loved making people feel welcome through her generosity, charm and warm and welcoming personality. There was never a moment when she did not genuinely care for others. 

Fay was predeceased by her grandparents, Edward and Mary Wilk, John and Regina Unterseher, her father Reinhold Unterseher, mother Ella (Wilk) Unterseher, sister Linda Klug, brother Ralph Unterseher.

Friends and family are welcome to attend the services for Fay, Monday April 24^th at United Lutheran Church of Almont beginning at 10am with a viewing followed by funeral service at 11am, burial, and graveside services.