Arthur Mark Peterson, our loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully at his home in Lake Shore, Utah, surrounded by his family on Saturday, August 9, 2025. He was born on September 7, 1944, in Salem, Utah to Clarence Allen and Marjorie Hartvigsen Peterson. He was the youngest of three siblings.

When Mark was only two years old, his father Clarence passed away. After a few years, his mom married Kendall John Taylor, a neighbor whom the family had become friends with.  Later, Mark and his siblings, Clara Jane and Dallas, were sealed to Kendall and his mother, and it was one of the happiest days of his life. Mark went to Salem Elementary. While Mark was in high school, his mother passed away and he was raised by his stepfather, Kendall. His sister, Clara Jane, took on the role of “mom” and carried that throughout his life.

Mark loved playing sports, fishing, hunting, riding horses bareback, and being active. He had the responsibility of milking the cows and helping on the farm. His friends gave him the nickname “Skin” and they still call him that to this day.  He always enjoyed music and played the tuba and accordion. He also enjoyed singing. Mark graduated from Spanish Fork High School in 1962. After high school Mark went to electronic school in Salt Lake City and worked at Beaner Block.

Mark and Jean had known each other for a few years through his stepsister. One night while rodding main, Mark asked Jean out on their first date. Soon after that, he got a job surveying in Spanish Fork. A year after dating, they got engaged on April 10th but because of the draft, they quickly got married on May 17th at the Ideal Cafe in Spanish Fork. Two years later to the date, they were sealed together in the Salt Lake City Temple. They moved to Lake Shore and Mark started working for Jean’s father in the family poultry business; working there until he retired.

He enlisted in the Springville National Guard and was stationed in Fort Ord, California. Later, he transferred to Fort Leonard in Missouri. Mark and Jean had six children. After they had their first two children, they moved into their current home where they had the other four kiddos and started helping the family business raising the baby chicks. He and Jean were able to travel to many places, including chicken conventions as well as to Hawaii. Mark had the opportunity to teach his six children how to work hard and work together. The family would work together every six months to prepare the coops for the new chicks … a memory they would cherish later on. The family also really enjoyed road trips, deer camp, and supporting each other through all their events in life. Yearly, the family would get together for deer camp, where Mark taught them to love the outdoors – whether it was hunting, fishing, or just being with everyone.

An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mark has had many ward and stake callings. He was in several bishoprics and was honored to be the first Bishop of the Lake Shore 2nd Ward. Mark was also a stake high councilman and a counselor in the stake presidency. He loved serving in many callings and visiting ward and stake members. He continued to do so throughout his life, and ministered to everyone around him. He also loved to talk to anyone and everyone and get their life stories.

Mark loved his family deeply and enjoyed their visits and talking to all of them on the phone daily. Together, Mark and Jean loved to get in the car and drive around the community to see the new developments. Mark was also the first one to find out what was going on and loved sharing his findings with his kids and grandkids. 27 years ago, he faced his first challenge of thyroid cancer; and has fought colon cancer for the last 13 years. He never gave up, wanting to fight up to the last day. Mark never complained once, even through all of his chemo and radiation treatments. He was the strongest person you will ever meet and wanted to be there for his family, no matter what. Mark fought for years because he was afraid he would miss out on his family. He was their biggest supporter and would never miss events despite his cancer.

He is survived by his sweet wife of 60 years, Jean Rigtrup Peterson, and his six children: Marjorie (Jim) Brown, Jeffery Mark (Tricia) Peterson, Curt R. (Kristi) Peterson, Stacey Jean (Chris) Hanks, Abbey Lynne (Wayne) Marshall, Kevin Taylor (Shellie) Peterson; 25 grandchildren, and nine (soon to be 10) great- grandchildren. He is also survived by his two sisters-in-law, Alene Zeeman and Carolyn Rigtrup. Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence Peterson, Kendall and Marjorie Taylor; sister, Clara Jane (Allan) Woodhouse; brother, Dallas Allan (Dena) Peterson; in-laws, Al G Rigtrup and Bernice Rigtrup. We imagine the wonderful reunion he has had with his parents and siblings.

Mark’s family wants to thank Dr. Wallentine and his team for their many years of service and care, as well as Kelly Powell from Utah Home Health.

Services for Mark will be as follows:  a visitation will be held on Wednesday evening, August 13, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. where family and friends may gather at Walker Funeral Home, 187 South Main Street, Spanish Fork, Utah. A second visitation will be at the Lake Shore LDS Church, 5916 South 3200 West, Spanish Fork, Utah, on Thursday morning, August 14, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. followed by the funeral at 11:00 a.m. at the church in Lake Shore.  Interment will be at Spanish Fork City Cemetery, 420 South 400 East, Spanish Fork, Utah.

The funeral service for Arthur "Mark" Peterson will be streamed live. Please return to this memorial page shortly before 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and click on the link below.

Arthur "Mark" Peterson Livestream Broadcast