Marjorie Ellen Peterson, 67

Marjorie Ellen Peterson, 67

Marjorie Ellen Peterson (Kaphingst) passed into the glorious presence of her King on Feb. 19, 2019. Born in California on April 20, 1951, to Shirley and Frederick C. Kaphingst, SFC., Marjorie made the family trio a foursome, along with her older brother, Michael. Eight years later, her younger sister, Tammy, was born, completing their family. Fred’s military career led the family to numerous homes in multiple cities across the country and also included a three-year post in Germany.

When she was 7, Marjorie’s parents discovered Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. They fell in love with the area and decided to establish a family home here while Fred finished up his army career, commuting on weekends from Whitefish, Mont., and rejoining the family full time in Coeur d’Alene upon his military retirement. Marjorie began attending Dalton Elementary in third grade. She would eventually graduate from Coeur d’Alene High School in 1969.

While attending Dalton Elementary, Margie met her two closest and lifelong friends, MaryAnn Tanner Dinning and Lynn Norris Nichols. The three of them were inseparable and this closeness never changed. Both Maryann and Lynn were with Margie on her final day on earth. Margie also had many other friends, being the true definition of a social butterfly. Her social circle expanded continuously. Her friendship with Cindy Barnhart Coombs began while their folks lived in neighboring apartments in California and continued throughout Margie’s life.

Other members of her close circle included Cynthia Jolin, Debbie Wolf Rhodes, Jo Wolf Wilkinson, and the late Kay Morrell; along with Anne, Dick, John, Jodie and Frankie Oaks. The sheer number of people who called, visited and emailed during Margie’s final hospitalization amazed her family and served as a witness to the vast number of lives made richer through the power of Margie’s abundant love.

After graduation from high school, Margie attended Lyle’s School of Cosmetology and began a nearly 50-year career as a hairdresser, retiring only last month. She spent the majority of her career alongside her dear friend Marshall Johnson. Being Margie’s client meant becoming a lifelong friend. Margie has clients she’s served for more than 40 years — some even from the time they were children — until she retired.

In 1973, Margie met and married Roger Saterfiel. They had one child, Trisha LeAnn Saterfiel. Trisha was the undisputed light of Margie’s world. She would take Trish and her cousin Sarah on all kinds of adventures, often including Sarah’s little brother, Aaron. They took trips to Disneyland and to Canada, went sledding on Cherry Hill and spent summers at Wild Waters or in Jo’s pool. Margie made sure that Trisha knew how loved she was and that there was nothing she wouldn’t do to make sure her daughter felt cared for and valued.

In Margie and Roger’s early years of marriage, they discovered who Jesus was and why they needed a Savior. They turned their lives over to Him and Margie’s world changed forever. Though she and Roger ultimately divorced, Margie had begun a lifelong love affair with her Lord. She dedicated her life to learning the Bible and trying to live a life in a way that was pleasing to Jesus. She began attending Hayden Friends Church in 1980 and led her sister Tammy to Christ.

Margie became a fixture at Friends, which truly became her second family, attending the church until the end of her life. The support from her church body literally saved Margie’s life during her prolonged illnesses, helping to ease both the physical and financial strain when Margie was unable to work or take care of herself. We as a family have been blessed immeasurably by the way Margie’s church served as Christ’s hands and feet when she needed them most. Her small group, led by Lyn and Marilyn Gross, along with her relationships with Bob and Marilyn Schneider and Diana and Elmer Wright, were Margie’s lifeline. There are so many others in her church whom Margie considered family. It’s a tribute to her relationships that Margie had a thousand best friends.

There were many sides to Marjorie Ellen Kaphingst Saterfiel Peterson, and also many names — Marjorie, Marg, Margie Ellen, Madge, Aunt Margie — but probably the one she cherished most was being called Ooma. As a toddler, her first great nephew Ethan coined the name and voilá, Margie was christened Ooma for the rest of time to her great nieces and great nephews. In truth, the rest of the family, including Margie herself, adopted the moniker as well. Tags on Christmas gifts or birthday cards were all signed “love, Ooma.”

Margie really was so many things, but perhaps best encapsulated by the word “extravagant.” She lived large, she laughed larger and she loved extravagantly. She did nothing halfway and was quick with an opinion on just about anything. She was a fabulous cook. She considered herself a wild flower child of the ’60s, loved being a “hippie” and wore tie dye even in her final days. Her hugs and her laughter will be sorely missed, and we long for the day when we can once again her hear say, “Oh honey, I love you so much.”

Margie was preceded in death by her father, Fred, her mother, Shirley and her brother Michael. She is survived by her daughter Trisha Saterfiel, her sister Tammy Bray, her brother-in-law Tony Bray, her niece Sarah (Melissa) and nephew Aaron (Amber), along with eight grand-nieces and –nephews (Ethan, Ainslee, Nathanael, Amelia, Jonathan, Jaxon, Addison and Avery) who all proudly called her Ooma.

The family would like to thank Drs. Kladar and Fogerty of Kootenai Hospital for their care and support of Margie in her last week. Special thanks also go to Roger and Stephanie Saterfiel. Loved ones are invited to join the family in saying goodbye (just for a while) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Anthem Church in Hayden (251 W. Miles Ave.).

We love you, Ooma. We’ll see you soon. (Hope you’re enjoying that new body!)

To see Margie’s online memorial and to leave a message for the family please visit www.englishfuneralchapel.com