John Peterson is believed to have been born
in Stranda, Norway. Came to America abt. 1884.
Originally settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota
before settling briefly in Montana as a rancher.
Settled in Puyallup, Washington in mid 1890's.
With his cousins, went to the Klondike as a gold
miner, while wife and daughters remained in
Washington.

Married to Mary Johanna Langlo.
Census of 1900 states John and Johanna were
parents of 5 children, two living in 1900.
Annie Peterson died June, 1906 (age 17) and is
buried next to her parents. Youngest daughter,
Esther Constance, married Proctor F. Cook in
Tacoma, Washington, in 1916.

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John A. Peterson, Norden Lodge No. 3 [2],
Tacoma.
Johan Andreas Pettersen Øvrebust was born on
October 24, 1860, in Øvrebust, Stordal in
Stranden, Møre og Romsdal. His parents were
Petter [Peter] Martinus Olsen Øvrebust and
Johanne Pettersdatter (in these days the names
were still changing with each generation).
There were seven children: Elen, Ole, Ane,
Johan, Elisabeth, Louis, and Peter.
John attended technical college in Norway before
emigrating from Bergen on May 9, 1882.
He first settled in Nicollet County in Minnesota
where he was a farm hand. On to Minneapolis the
next year, he worked survey and construction for
James Hill of the Great Northern Railroad, mostly
in Montana. On June 8, 1884, in Minnesota, John
married Johanne Marie Larsdatter Langlo, also
of Norway. She was known as Mary Johanna in this
country. In 1885 he gave up railroading and learned
how to plaster and worked at contract plastering
until 1895. For two years he lived in Teton
County, Montana, and worked at trades he knew well,
farming and plastering.
During January 1897, John and his family went to
Tacoma, Washington. Not long after, he joined with
some cousins in the gold rush to the Klondike.
In Alaska, he did mining about four years with
apparently some success. His wife and daughters
remained in Washington while he was away. Two of
his siblings, Elizabeth and Peter, also lived in
Tacoma.
John and Mary had five children. Only two, both born
in Minnesota, were living in 1900. Annie later died
in 1902 at the age of 16 in Tacoma. The youngest
daughter, Esther Constance, married Proctor F. Cook
in Tacoma in 1916 and later moved to Los Angeles.
They had two children. Mr. Cook was a cartoonist
and writer for the Los Angeles Examiner.
When Mr. Peterson returned to Washington, he
bought 30 acres of land in Puyallup for a dairy
and also grew berries. Around 1905 he built a
house in Tacoma, Washington, and here he became a
member of Norden Lodge No. 3 [2].
In his local lodge, he served as a Marshal in 1906,
Vice President for the first half of 1908
(in those days officers were elected for six month
terms), and on other committees. At the fifth
Grand Lodge convention on January 19, 1908, he
joined the committee with Hans Bugge,
S.O. Wetteland, Jacob Rivedahl, and Theodore
Pederson for considering consolidation of the
Grand Lodge with the Supreme Lodge Sons of Norway
in the Midwest. In 1908 he was the chair for the
visit to Tacoma of Captain Roald Amundsen. After
being Grand Lodge President, he served as a Judge
in the new District 2 until 1911. John continued
in plaster contracting until 1924. In 1925 he also
built an apartment building in Tacoma.
John spent some time in Los Angeles during those
years where he also built and retained a home.
He passed away on March 19, 1931, and is buried
by his wife, Mary, and his daughter, Annie, at the
Woodbine Cemetery in Puyallup, Washington.
Information from Nordmændene i Amerika by Martin
Ulvestad, 1913, page 865; Norden Lodge No. 3 [2]
minutes; History of Sons of Norway, 1895-1945;
History of Pierce County Washington, Vol III, 1927,
pages 74-75; Cliff Magnussen, who is a third cousin,
three times removed, to John's wife, Mary;
Marie Sandvig; Karen Huck of Montana; and Tim Cook,
John's great grandson.