Edna Wray Peterson (Wray), loving wife and beloved mother of 6 passed away in her home surrounded by family in Amery, WI, on September 29, 2024 from pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. Wray was the heart and soul of her family and will be deeply missed.

Wray was born on May 29, 1945 in Fort White, Florida to Ted and Edna Dukes. She was given into the loving arms of Epin and Bernice Dukes at two years old and was later officially adopted by them. Wray attended Duncan U Fletcher High School in Jacksonville, Fl. Wray moved to Amery, WI in 1963.

Wray was blessed with 3 beautiful children from a previous marriage: Ken Norlund, Linda Norlund, and Gwen Anderson.

Wray later married Don Peterson in 1972 and they enjoyed 52 years of marriage. Together they also had three beautiful children: Derek Peterson, Kirstin Rasmussen and Brent Peterson.

In 1977, Don and Wray purchased the Pink Tavern on Hwy 8. Wray ran the tavern and made many lifelong friends while there. She loved meeting all of the new people that would stop in and enjoyed talking with everyone. In 2001, the Pink Tavern was torn down. Don and Wray then built Duck’s Sports Bar and Grill in 2004. Wray again enjoyed running the business and was very proud of her freshly made burgers! She always made everyone feel welcome and made sure everyone that she cared for were always taken care of. Wray enjoyed life to its fullest! She will be missed by many!

Wray later retired from the bar business. She spent her retirement enjoying time working on her yard and planting beautiful flowers. She enjoyed mornings at the kitchen table with Don watching their birds and trying to name what they all were and loved spending time snuggling her beloved dog “Tiny” who would never leave her side.

Wray had many grandchildren who were the light of her life. She loved being a Grandma and was proud to be known as the “Cool” Grandma amongst them.

Wray was preceded in death by her parents Epin and Bernice Dukes.

She is survived by her husband: Don Peterson, children: Ken (Jen) Norlund, Linda Norlund, Gwen (Ross) Anderson, Derek Peterson, Kirstin (Paul) Rasmussen & Brent Peterson, her grandchildren: Jennifer Norlund, Andria Norlund, Devin Boubendorf, Kayla “Cory” Eilik, Aaron Norlund, Tim Peterson, Ashley Norlund, Zac Norlund, Hannah Peterson, Cole Peterson, Vincent Cade, Mathew Anderson, Ross Anderson & Kaitlyn Peterson, great grandchildren: Colin Gagnon,  Emma Boubendorf,  Caden Koch, Ashton Boubendorf, Jaxon Koch & Brooklyn Norlund, and brother: Timothy Dukes.

Following Wray’s wishes, she will be cremated. A visitation will be held at Williamson-White Funeral Home in Amery, WI on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. Her laughter, her love of life, and her ability to make everyone feel cherished will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

The family would like to thank The Amery Regional Medical Center for the care they provided early in this journey. They gave our family some much needed extra time. We would also like to thank Adoray Home Health and Hospice for the compassionate care and support they provided Wray and the rest of the family. We would like to extend a special thank you to her hospice nurses Becca and Jen. They are truly angels on earth.

Last Update: Sep 30, 2024 10:07 am CDT