From Orphan to Overcomer: A Story of Grit

A Rocky Start: A Name and a Family in Flux

Roy F. Peterson’s life was a remarkable journey of resilience, adaptation, and determination. From his tumultuous childhood to his hardworking adulthood, Roy faced challenges that could have broken a lesser man, yet he persevered.

Roy F. Peterson

Born in Nevada, Missouri, on January 1, 1897, Roy Peterson’s life began in tragedy. His parents, John Robert Peterson and Mary Thompson, died of pneumonia just days apart when Roy was only six weeks old, leaving him and his three older siblings orphaned. With no immediate family able to take them in, the children were separated, each facing an uncertain future.

Ora Crane (seating) and Liza Hull

Roy’s infancy was shaped by Ora Crane, a young woman who took him in and raised him as her own. At the time, Ora was married to Gilbert Grummons, and Roy was initially known as Roy Grummons. This was a period of relative stability, but it wouldn’t last. On February 1, 1906, Gilbert Grummons died in a tragic train accident, leaving Ora a widow with Roy in her care. Just five months later, on July 2, 1906, she married Archie Berryhill in Kansas. After this marriage, Roy took on the surname Berryhill, and for much of his youth, he was known as Roy Berryhill.

Though he had no memory of his biological parents, Ora Crane was the only mother Roy ever knew. She provided him with love, security, and a sense of belonging. However, tragedy struck again in 1908 when Ora died suddenly. At just 11 years old, Roy was once again left without a mother. This loss must have been deeply traumatic, as it severed the only maternal bond he had ever known. Just two years earlier, in 1906, Ora’s husband, Gilbert Grummons, had died tragically in a train accident under suspicious circumstances. The instability caused by his death likely impacted Ora’s ability to provide for Roy, making her untimely passing even more devastating.

Archie Berryhill’s second wife, who became Roy’s stepmother, was not as kind or nurturing. According to family accounts, she treated Roy poorly, making his adolescence all the more difficult. It was a stark contrast to the warmth Ora had given him, reinforcing the instability of his childhood.

Meanwhile, Roy’s older brother, George Monaghan Peterson, had been placed with another family and eventually embraced their surname, Monaghan. Unlike Roy, George had no connection to his Peterson roots and fully assimilated into his new identity. Roy, however, struggled with his shifting surnames and never truly belonged to any one family until adulthood.

An Early Life on His Own

By his teenage years, Roy was already fending for himself. In 1914, at the age of 17, he left home to “see the world.” He attempted to hop a freight train in Silvis, Illinois, but a sudden jolt sent him tumbling beneath the wheels. His right arm was mangled and had to be amputated several inches below the shoulder. It was a life-altering event, yet Roy never let it define him.

  

Roy Visit's to California looking for his sister

In the following years, he continued to make his own way, working various jobs despite his disability. According to family stories, he completed his high school education in Macon, Missouri, a significant achievement given his unstable upbringing.

Reuniting with Family: A Brother Lost and Found

Roy and Robert. Date Unknown (1920s?)

Despite the hardships of their early separation, Roy reconnected with his brother, Robert Peterson, as early as 1917—just ten years after their parents' passing. Though they had been raised apart, their reunion marked the beginning of a renewed bond, proving that even in the face of separation, family ties could be rediscovered and strengthened.

Marriage, Work, and Family Life

Roy & Bertha with their first child

On March 28, 1920, Roy married Bertha Ellen Lawson in Vada, Missouri. The couple moved frequently in the early years of their marriage, as shown by the birthplaces of their children. They lived in Howell County, Texas County, and Shannon County, Missouri, before relocating to Arkansas and eventually Washington State.

Roy proved himself to be a hardworking man, taking on jobs that required skill and precision despite his missing arm. The 1940 census lists him as a timekeeper for the WPA State Mineral Survey in Madison County, Arkansas. Given the nature of the mineral survey, his role likely involved recording data, overseeing schedules, or keeping track of equipment and workers. It’s remarkable to think that a man with one arm was working in an industry often associated with physical labor and fieldwork.

By the 1940s, Roy and his family spent time in Colorado, where he worked as a welder for Woeber Auto Body & Manufacturing Co. A 1944 letter from his employer described him as a “first-class welder” and noted that his missing arm never affected his determination or ability to get the job done.

A New Start in Washington

In early 1945, Roy and his family relocated to Tacoma, Washington, where he worked as a welder at Todd Pacific Shipyard. The shipyard, previously known as Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., was a major contributor to the U.S. Navy during World War II. Roy’s ability to secure work in such an industrial environment—despite his physical limitations—was a testament to his perseverance and skill. The 1945 Tacoma City Directory lists Roy and Bertha living at 280 Omak, Tacoma, WA, confirming their presence in the area before moving on to Yakima.

At the end of the 1940s, Roy and Bertha moved to Yakima, Washington, where they put down lasting roots. The 1950 census lists Roy as an automobile mechanic, working in a repair garage. Though he later retired, he remained active in the community. He eventually became a fire insurance inspector, a job that likely suited his attention to detail and knowledge of machinery.

Roy in front of the garage he managed with his 3 sons (sitting/keeling/leaning on ground)

Roy working in his home shop (Yakima, WA)

In later years, Roy was a member of the X Handicapped Club, an organization that supported individuals with disabilities,

 Lasting Legacy

Roy Peterson passed away on January 22, 1972, in Yakima, Washington, at the age of 75. He was survived by his wife, Bertha, and their children: Meribell, Nora, Hazel, Velma, Charles, Olen, and a still-living son. He left behind 38 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren at the time of his passing, a testament to the large family he built despite his difficult beginnings.

Roy’s life was one of constant adaptation. From losing his parents as an infant to surviving a devastating injury, from changing names multiple times to raising a large family, he never allowed hardship to dictate his path. He may have been passed between families as a child, but as an adult, he created a family of his own—one that remembers him not for his struggles, but for his perseverance, work ethic, and resilience.