Leanna Rose Peterson

Leanna was born in 1940 in Albany, California, to Everett Leo Kearsley and Merle Gleason Kearsley. She died on January 23, 2026, in Driggs, Idaho, with her three children by her side. She was 85 years old.

Leanna’s family moved many times while she and her sisters, Yvonne, Linda, and Karen were growing up. They lived in various places in the United States, as well as in Germany from 1950 to 1953. Leanna married John Fox Larson in 1960. They lived in California for a time while John was in the Navy and attended college. Her daughters, Christine “Chrissy” and Michelle “Chelle” were born in California. After moving to Minnesota, where they lived for a year, the family moved to East Lansing, Michigan. Her son, John, was born there, completing the family.

Leanna studied Spanish and linguistics at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Before she could finish her degree, the family had the opportunity to move to Mexico City, Mexico. For two years, Leanna immersed her family in the language, culture, and history of Mexico, and she continued her studies at the Universidad Anáhuac. The guest room of the house in Mexico was often occupied by family and friends visiting from the United States. Countless visits to places like Xochimilco, Taxco, Teotihuacan, and local Saturday markets contributed to a well-rounded and adventurous childhood for Chrissy, Chelle, and John. When the time came to leave Mexico, the family moved to back to the United States, settling in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Leanna worked for the school district in Idaho Falls as a migrant education home-school coordinator, which gave her the opportunity to use the Spanish-speaking skills she acquired in Mexico. She continued her studies at Idaho State University, eventually earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology. Shortly after graduating, she took a job with Waddell & Reed as a financial planner, which suited her organized and thrifty nature. Eventually, she went back to ISU to earn a Master’s Degree in English Literature, and then promptly took a job at ISU teaching Spanish. She taught at ISU until she retired in 2006.

Leanna and John divorced in 1978, and Leanna put her focus on her kids, her work, and her studies. And then along came George Lawrence Peterson, a calm, methodical engineer who was the perfect balance to her busy, goal-oriented personality. A life-long volunteer ski patrolman, George spent every winter weekend at Grand Targhee, and it wasn’t long before Leanna and the kids joined him on the mountain. Leanna and George married in 1982, and George became a beloved “bonus dad” to Leanna’s kids.

In 1986, George and Leanna built a simple Pan Abode cabin on an undeveloped gravel road outside of Victor, Idaho. Originally conceived as a ski cabin to shorten the weekend ski commute, with an unfinished basement that John could skateboard in, a wood stove for heat, and two simple bedrooms, the weekend cabin eventually became a home. George moved to the cabin full time when he retired, and Leanna split her time between Idaho Falls and the cabin for a few more years until she retired. Over the years, they added a deck, a garage, and a growing number of neighbors along their once-quiet road. The cabin became a popular gathering place for neighbors, as well as for a wide variety of critters, including the hummingbirds she and George diligently fed every summer. Leanna was especially appreciated by the neighborhood dogs, who would come to the door and look through the glass. She was always happy to see them and give them a treat.

Although the cabin is heaven on earth and she loved being there, Leanna used it as a home base from which to launch her many travels. Her favorite trips were to see her kids in Washington and Switzerland, but she also loved seeing the rest of the world. Her first foreign trip to Germany as a kid, her honeymoon trip to Tahiti, and the two-year stint in Mexico were only the beginning. She traveled all over the United States, as well as to Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Morocco, Tanzania, Australia, China, Ireland, many countries in western and eastern Europe, various islands, and probably other countries as well. A variety of family members and friends accompanied her on her travels and got to enjoy her love of culture and adventure. Shortly before her death, she spent a week in Egypt with a friend, touring pyramids and riding camels. She had plans to visit Spain with her daughters this Spring, and she was looking forward to attending her grandson’s wedding in Hawaii in the Fall.

When she wasn’t traveling the country or the world, Leanna was busy at home. She had a broad circle of friends and extended family and was an excellent correspondent and host. She received visitors year-round for coffee or a meal, for an overnight stay on a road trip, or for an extended visit. She loved the Teton Valley and was an avid supporter of the library, Pierre’s Theater, thrift stores, and Music on Main. After retiring, Leanna took up quilting and produced many beautiful quilts, runners, and wall hangings. It was her goal to make a quilt for each of her grandkids and, not one to leave a task unfinished, she completed her goal with the help of three friends who put the binding on the last one and brought it to the hospital to show her on the day she died.

Leanna is survived by her daughter, Christine (Christopher) Winter and grandchildren, Carson (Sarah) Winter, Bridger (fiancée, Haley) Winter, and Hannah Winter; her daughter, Michelle (David) Bos and granddaughters, Abigail (Luke) Stonebreaker and Sophi (Aidan) Yolo, and great-grandsons, Eli and Boston Stonebreaker; her son, John Fox Larson and granddaughters, Supernova and Apollonia Larson; her sister, Yvonne (Gary) Brogan; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family; and too many friends to count.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George; her parents, Everett and Merle; and her sisters, Linda Peck and Karen Packwood.

The family extends its deepest gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Teton Valley Hospital, to Dr. Tomchak and Dr. Dickson, and to the many friends and neighbors who took care of Leanna and her family. You are proof of the goodness that exists in the world.

At Leanna’s request, no memorial service is planned. Share a meal with a friend, read a good book, finish a project, or take a little trip in her memory. She would love that.