Petersen Clan

Sometimes the child's obit informs the parents lives as is the case here. 

Iver M Petersen was a son of Hans Iver Petersen & Georgia Anna Peck and he married Dora Rita Silvey and had one son, Wilbert. 

Iver & Dora's obit are below and while Iver's indicates he worked for the railroad, it says nothing of the moves the family made as a result.

San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb 2008
Wilbert Iver "Pete" Petersen Pete was born in Truckee, CA, in 1914, a third-generation pioneer family. His father, Iver, was a railroad man and the family lived in several small Sierra mountain towns, like Blue Canyon and Gold Run.  His mountain school held all eight grades. He and one girl comprised the 8th grade and Pete was valedictorian at graduation. Pete graduated from Sacramento High and continued his education at the Univ. of Nevada. To earn his college tuition he played guitar in a combo at Lake Tahoe during the summers. Pete panned for gold frequently in the Sierra Rivers and worked on a crew building Hwy 80. Many summers he also helped his Uncle Art who was a beekeeper in Gardner, NV. At U. of Nev, he was president of the senior class and president of his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He came to San Francisco to attend UOP School of Dentistry. Pete worked nights at the Chinese Hospital and usually slept there. Upon graduation from dental college he set up practice in Burlingame. After the attack on Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Navy as 1st Lt. in the dental corps and served in the Pacific area. When Pete returned to Burlingame he resumed his practice which he enjoyed for 44 years. He also taught dental classes at UOP for 20 years. Pete was past president of San Mateo Co. Dental Society, active in Burlingame Rotary, past president of Grindstone Joe's, a boating association on the Sacramento Delta, volunteer at San Mateo Co. History Museum and a docent at Filoli Estate in Woodside. He and his wife, Donna, established the Peninsula Foundation for Diabetic Children which funded the camp, Bearskin Meadows in Sequoia National Park. He passed away peacefully with his family at his side. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Donna; son, Thomas and his partner John Mills, of Hercules, CA; daughter, Lynne (Fair) Carpenter of Chicago; granddaughters, Erica (Galen) Coleman of Mt. View and Kristina (Thierry) Sanse of Lavaur, France; grandson, Eric Petersen of Atlanta, GA; and great-grandchildren, Emily Coleman and Maxim Sanse. A Memorial Service will be held Feb. 21 at 2:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame, 1500 Easton Dr. and El Camino. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the San Mateo Co. Historical Assn., 220 Broadway St., Redwood City, CA 94063.

Chico Enterprise Record, 24 Mar 1975

GRIDLEY (E-R) - Services were held Saturday at Gridley Funeral Chapel for Iver M Petersen, 86, who died Thursday at a Gridley convalescent hospital. A native of Chico, Petersen had resided in the Gridley area since 1934 and was retired after a 45-year career as a signal maintenance man for the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. He was a member of Clay Lodge No 101 of the Masonic Order in Dutch Flat. Survivors include his widow, Dora; a son, Wilbert of Burlingame; and three grandchildren. Officiating at Saturday's service were North Butte Lodge No 230, F&AM and Rev Aaron Brown of the Gridley First Christian Church. Graveside services were held today at Gridley-Biggs Cemetery.

Unknown Paper, 17 Feb 1981
Dora Petersen
GRIDLEY (E-R) - Graveside services will be held at 2 pm Wednesday at Gridley-Biggs Cemetery for Dora Petersen, 88. She died Thursday in a rest home in Milbrae following a long illness. She was born April 15, 1892, in Truckee. She had lived in Gridley for 40 years, and moved to the Bay Area five years ago. She was a member of the Vernon Chapter, No 35,  Order of the Eastern Star, Gridley. Her husband, Iver Petersen, died in 1975. She is survived by a son, Dr Wilbert I Petersen of Burlingame; three sisters, Ruth Foote of Richmond, Rosabelle Harmon of Washington state and Frieda Hauser of Sonora; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Aaron Brown, minister of the Christian Church of Gridley, will preside at the services. Arrangements were made by Gridley-Block Funeral Chapel.