March 7, 2005 — Maria Tove Williams Petersen died of cancer, Feb. 9 at her home in Hollywood, Calif. She was 92 years old. Petersen was born to Victoria Ann Williams and George Alfonso Williams on St. Croix, Jan. 14, 1913. She survived all of her siblings, Evadney Williams of Washington D.C., Ricaldo Carl Williams of N.Y., Uta Williams of N.Y., Mildred Williams of St. Croix, Leona Jean Williams-Dottin of N.Y. and Joyous Innocentia Williams Plaskett Rogier of St. Thomas.
As a young girl, Petersen attended St. Patrick's Catholic school in Frederiksted. She left the Virgin Islands in the 1920s to rejoin her family in the village of Harlem, N.Y. where she attended St. Charles of Borromeo School. She married Joseph Hugo Petersen, also of St. Croix, and they had seven children; Pauline, Leroy, and Robert, all deceased, and Joseph, Marie Evelyn "Lynne" Petersen-Talley, Dolores and Micheale Petersen-Dalferes.
Throughout the years, Peterson moved with her husband's military orders, setting up homes in in New York City, Columbus, Ohio, Chateauroux, France and Albuquerque, N.M. Petersen later lived with her daughter, Dolores Petersen and grandson Guy Petersen-Givens in Hollywood, California, where she enjoyed the climate close to that of her birthplace, St. Croix.
Petersen is survived by her husband, Joseph Petersen; children, Joseph, Marie, Dolores, and Michaele; grandchildren, TyJana Peterson-Powell, Maurice Washington, Wanda Martin, Joel Petersen, Wayne and Rosalind Petersen, Keith Petersen, Gary Petersen, Todd Petersen, Paulette Petersen, Lloyd Talley, Marie Tove Woods, Deniece Innis, Victoria Michael Lewis, Gregory Talley, Guy Petersen-Givens, and William Dalferes; 24 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great-grandchildren; nieces and great-nieces, Gloria Powell, Leona Maria Jordan, Ramona Williams, Sabrina Moore, Joan Spence, Shirley Spence, Cheryl James, Cheryldine James, and Michelle Shipp Williams; nephews and great-nephews, Ira Plaskett, Jr., Mel Plaskett, Christian Plaskett, Eugene Plaskett, Bernard Spence, Arnold Spence, and Anthony Taylor; daughters-in-law, Madeline Jones Petersen, Ann Marie Honeycutt Petersen; son-in-law, Duffel Dalferes; other family; Manuela Diaz Whitlock, Shari Whitlock Jones, Willy Jones, Elaine Anduze Butler, Annette Harrigan, Ruth Beagles, Girda Tutein, Conrad Simmons, Cuthbert Sebastian, Dorette Sebastian McColman, Janet Christensen Hodge Crump, Norman Samuels, and Diane Cornelius; many friends, mostly in California, Iris Forbes and family, Toya Green, Jim Norton, Helen Birnbaum, Annie and Diane Edwards, Regina, Alfreda Chestnut, Mary Holt, Oneida Granger, Maureen Micheline, the Macado family, LeRoy Campbell, Mrs. Lamont Dozier Jr., Father Mike, West Coast Bishop Antioch Catholic Diocese, St. Ambrose Church lay volunteers, Evangeline, Anita and Ken Page, Shirley Retledge, Donald Yearwood and family, Delores Jackson, Altamese Townsend, Winny, Queen Woods, the Givens Family, Patricia Phillips, Shirley Middleton, Martha Payne, Oliver Featherston, Juana Rodriguez and family, Helena Hall, Ruth, Edith, Emmarita, and Alex Castillo, Sophia Liggins, Leo, Noriel, Terrevia, and Carlos Adorna, the staff of Sharon Care Nursing Home, Los Angeles, Calif.