Emma Pauline Peterson
June 28, 1922 ~ October 23, 2024
Born in:
Harmony, North Carolina
Resided in:
Fairfax, Virginia
Emma Pauline Peterson, née Mullis, 102, formerly of Silver Spring, Maryland, peacefully joined her Lord and Savior on October 23, 2024, after a decade of active life at Sunrise Senior Living in Fairfax, Virginia. She was born to Rosa Bell Smith and Henry Clay Mullis of Harmony, North Carolina on June 20, 1922.
Pauline worked on her family’s farm growing up. She liked school and was a good student, and pursued secretarial work after she graduated from high school. During World War II, Pauline moved to Washington, DC and assisted in decoding wartime correspondence for the government. It was in Washington that she met her husband Ray Peterson, of Worcester, Massachusetts, at a social event at Calvary Baptist Church. They exchanged letters while Ray was deployed in Europe, and married when he returned to the States after the war. Ray and Pauline settled in Silver Spring, Maryland, where Ray worked as an engineer for the government and Pauline took the role of housewife and mother to their daughter, Vicki. They stayed close with their families in Massachusetts and North Carolina with frequent trips and letters. The couple enjoyed life in the Washington area for many years. After Ray’s passing in 2005, Pauline continued to live in Silver Spring until 2014, when she moved to Virginia to be close to her daughter Vicki. She enjoyed 10 active years in assisted living in Fairfax, Virginia and treasured her family’s visits, gifts, and letters.
Pauline was known for her resilience, her humor, her quick wit, and common sense. She was fond of chatting with friends and relatives alike. She made friends wherever she went. Her strength of mind and body served her for her whole life. Even though she decided to move to the city, she never lost her childhood connection to the earth, weather, and all things that grow. Pauline was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She is survived by her daughter, Vicki Peterson Cordes; granddaughters, Erica Cordes Vacare (Jason) and Natalie Cordes Burgdorf (Eric); and two great-grandchildren; as well as her brother, James Charles Mullis (Shelby); and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her devoted husband of 58 years, Carl Raymond Peterson; as well as her sisters, Mary Lucille York and Ola Mae Daniels; and her brother, Henry Paul Mullis (Freda). A memorial service will take place in Fairfax, Virginia, and a burial service at Winthrop Friends Meeting in Harmony, North Carolina.
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