Ronelva Arvella Peacock

On November 14th, 2021, Ronelva (Ron) passed on to live with the Angels. She was born on July 1, 1925 in Esterville, Iowa to Merris and Opal Thompson and was the oldest of eight brothers and sisters. After graduating from Sherburne High School as valedictorian at age 16, she enrolled in Mankato State Teachers College, obtained her teaching certificate and started her teaching career at 18 in Welcome, Minnesota. While at Mankato she met Donald Gaard whom she would marry in Florida while he was training to be a B-17 pilot. The Anchorage Veterans Museum presently displays Ron’s silk nightgown made from Don’s parachute after his return form a Russian POW camp at the wars end. She enjoyed a long career teaching 4th graders in Minnesota and Alaska. After the war Ron and Don bought a farm near Kensington, sold that and bought a resort near Cass Lake, sold that and moved to Walker, all in Minnesota, where Ron designed and Don built a home on Lake May. The family moved to Alaska in 1968 and Ron designed and Don built a home on Lower Fire Lake. Don was killed in an airplane crash in 1970. As a single lady and with the help of two of her sons Ron designed and built a fourplex in Anchorage and a duplex on Lower Fire Lake. While living in Anchorage she married Ralph Hettinga. They moved to Hillsborough, New Mexico, where she designed and Ralph built a home around Ralph’s stone cabin. Ralph said before he met Ron he had a nice little stone cabin and after he met Ron it turned into his living room. Ralph passed away in 1989 and Ron sold the Hillsborough properties and designed and built a home in Las Cruces, New Mexico where she met and married Don Peacock. She returned to Anchorage where she lived until her recent passing. In her event filled life she made and kept in touch with many friends and in her later years especially enjoyed the Bridge Club at the Senior Center and then the Moose Lodge. Always active, engaging and artistic, she won prizes and a trip to New York in the third annual Pillsbury Bake Off in 1951, designed and made her own clothes, receiving accolades as one of Anchorage’s best dressed women. She was active in AARP, past president of The Alaska Retired Teachers Association and a longtime member of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church. She leaves two brothers, Wayne (Steve) and Harley (Romona) three sons Gary (Kathleen), David (Vicky Lee) and Mark, three grandsons Erik (Casandra), Ryan (Kylie) Owen (Johanna) and nine great grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and many students. A memorial service is planned for 2 pm on December 4th at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, 10955 Elmore Road. Because of high COVID transmission in our community, people who come for the in person service are required to wear a mask. The service will also be available to view on line through the Amazing Grace Facebook page (Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, ELCA).