Dorothy Jeanne (Raymoure) Peterson (1919 - 2000)

Born 16 Aug 1919 in Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan, United States

Ancestors

Died 17 Sep 2000 at age 81 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: K Raymoure [send private message]

Biography

Dot (Raymoure) Peterson served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: Oct 1943
Unit(s): 1st All-Michigan Women's Army Corps
Service ended: 01 Mar 1946

A passionate genealogist who self-published a book Raymoure Hubbell Franklin Osborne on our family history in 1982. She was also a poet, in the Women's Army Corps during World War II, a wilderness camper, a thoughtful pen pal to many family members (always signed "OA" for Old Aunt) and married for the first time at 69 years young.

In her own words:

I have the usual happy memories of childhood. Outstanding were the happy times of family reunions, which possibly planted the seed of desire to hold our family together through a printed record. The fun of playing with cousins during the once-a-year reunions at the Raymoure ancestral home in West Branch, Michigan ended with Grandma Adah Raymoure's death in 1929. My Dad died of a heart attack on February 24, 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression. The C. W. Raymoure Lumber Company was also a casualty of the times. $2.00 was squeezed from the grocery money so I could join the Campfire Girls in 1934 and several of the friends made then remain friends today. In the late 1930's I became a Campfire Guardian for a group of pre-teens.

Varsity field hockey, basketball, and the swimming team were far more interesting than studies through high school. Also did a lot of baby-sitting and in 1938 graduated from Highland Park High.

Without experience it was impossible to find a job, so with a girlfriend (both 18) started a company called Selective Office Service, doing typing and mimeographing. After 6 months we disbanded the business (broke even!) and both found employment by giving each other's name as a reference.

My first job in 1939 was as a switchboard operator for Diamond Power Specialty, a firm that made boilers. World War II arrived and in October, 1943 a burst of patriotism led to the recruiting office and I became a member of the 1st All-Michigan Women's Army Corps at a salary of $21.00 a month. Basic training was at Daytona Beach, Florida and then assignment to Fort Custer, Mich. as a member of the Radio Division of the Provost Marshal School. Fort Custer became a prisoner of war camp and after the School closed I was assigned to the German Records Office. After almost 2 years the war was drawing to a close and I was transferred to Camp Grant, Illinois where I finished my "duration plus 6 months" in the Separation Center processing discharge papers of our returning servicemen. On March 1, 1946 it was my turn.

Later that year I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan and worked for 7 years in the personnel office of McInerney Spring and Wire, doing routine paper work and applicant interviewing and hiring. In 1954 became payroll and billing clerk for Edgar S. Kiefer Tanning Co. Three years later Kiefer International Products was formed as a division to handle the importing of bulletin cork and linoleum products from Holland as a national distributor. When it spun off as a separate corporation I went along as the Gal Friday. In 1966 the two partners went their separate ways and I became, and remain, vice president and assistant secretary of the company.

Research for this book began some 25-30 years ago and about that time I joined Western Michigan Genealogical Society, serving first as recording secretary and later for several years as editor of the quarterly publication, "Michigana".

Four never-to-be-forgotten river rafting and wilderness camping trips, 1972-77, were made with Canadian River Expeditions, all starting in remote areas reached only by bush plane over spectacular scenery and landing on small jeweled lakes. The 1st, and also CREs first, was on the Chilcotin and Fraser Rivers in central British Columbia starting at lovely Chilcotin Lake. What a thrill the 1st canyon run! The 2nd trip was on the South Nahanni River in the Canadian Northwest Territories a couple hundred miles south of the Arctic Circle. A commercial flight from Vancouver to Watson Lake in the Yukon, then small planes over the mountains and tundra to a small lake within portaging distance of the Nahanni River. Later we portaged around thunderous Virginia Falls, climbing over rocks and wading mountain streams as we slipped and slid on muddy trails. How it rained! How the sleet hurt! Then it snowed and we sang Jingle Bells.

The 3rd trip was on the Stikine River in northwest British Columbia, through the spectacular Canadian ice fields and ending in Wrangell, Alaska. We were blessed with perfect weather (most unusual!) as we floated for three beautiful, clear days surrounded by glaciers and snow covered mountains . . each bend of the river seeming more beautiful than the last until we were just saturated with beauty and couldn't absorb more. My 4th and last trip was on the Skeena River in B.C., the 'river of mist', and it really did rain a good deal of the time. (fun putting up and taking down a wet, silt-covered tent.) Wonderful memories of river-rat friends (some of us on 3 or 4 trips together), magnificent wilderness scenery, wild roaring canyon runs that once broke a raft and on another trip washed me overboard to drag the length of the canyon hanging onto a rope, the mysterious and beautiful ballet of the Northern Lights in in pinks and greens and blues and gold, the many eagles, the 40 degree water that quickly chapped hands and cracked knuckles, (gold panning lasted only a few minutes and we gained hardy respect for the men who panned for a living day after day), fresh salmon baked over a campfire, the rocks that crawled under sleeping bags in the middle of the night, the leaking air mattresses, and especially the unfailing humor and good dispositions under wet and cold and difficult conditions. Memories! Memories!

A lifelong interest in flying (won my Jr. Birdman of America wings when I was about 10!) culminated in disappointment when after completing ground school and almost ready to solo found that I could not be issued a license because of high blood pressure and resultant medication.

Silva Mind Control (both basic and professional) was a high interest point and also very valuable because by following the relaxing techniques laerned have about controlled the migraine headaches that have been a plague most of my life. A spiritual-psychic-healing-prayer group met weekly for about 10 years. Playtime included seances, the ouija board, auras, telepathy, psychometry, thought transference, etc. I'm a life member of the ESP Lab in L.A. and also a member of Spiritual Frontiers Fellowship.

Residences

• 1920: 347 Elmhurst Avenue, Highland Park, Michigan

Census Race

• 1920: White

Death

She passed away in 2000 and is buried at Graceland Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Sources

• 1920 United States Federal Census Year: 1920; Census Place: Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T625_801; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 688
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHMH-8K8 : 10 January 2021), Dorothy Raymoure in household of Irene Raymoure, Highland Park, Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 82-146, sheet 9A, line 26, family 181, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 1832.
• "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8LQ-2J5 : 5 December 2014), Dorothy J Raymoure, enlisted 19 Oct 1943, Detroit, Michigan, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9CH-SMQ : 9 January 2021), Dorothy R Peterson, 17 Sep 2000; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
• "Michigan Obituaries, 1820-2006," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK7Z-KKVZ : 1 April 2020), Dorothy Raymoure Peterson, 2000; citing Michigan, United States, Obituary, Grand Rapids Public Library, Michigan; FHL microfilm 2,371,372.
• Find a Grave: Dorothy Jeanne Peterson née Raymoure
• Raymoure, Dorothy. Raymoure Hubbell Franklin Osborne. 1982.