Myrtle Dorothy Pedersen

Myrtle (Miller) Pedersen, 93, of Oakdale, CA passed away at Bethany Home, Ripon, CA.

She was born in Los Angeles, CA.  She was the daughter of Harry Paxton and Mertie (Duncan) Paxton. 

She married her first husband, Jack Miller, and later in life, she married Edvard Pedersen. 

She had two children from her first marriage - Jack Miller II (Mary) and Robin Watts (deceased). By a previous marriage, Edvard had four children.  Her step-children are: Paul Pedersen (Vickie), Elizabeth (Ken) Smith, Peter (Sabrina) Pedersen, and David (Rebecca) Pedersen. She has numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and step-grandchildren. 

She had five brothers and sisters: Bill Paxton, Sarah Fully, James Paxton, Faye Lerg, and Gene Paxton.  She is only survived by Faye and Gene.

She was very devoted to God, and Myrtle and Ed would read scripture in the morning before they started their day.  She was extremely skilled and creative at crafts and loved tole painting.  She enjoyed camping and fishing.  She loved playing dominoes and card games.  Ed and Myrtle were featured in the newspaper and on TV for a snow scene they created across their entire living room over the fireplace.  The snow scene included a village of businesses and houses.  Dancers, a tram, skaters, children on sleds, a windmill and a watermill, were all animated.  Over the many years, thousands of people came to see it.  She often hosted classrooms of children and gave them cookies. 

She had worked for Aero Jet assembling and soldering circuit boards, a family tree service, several schools as a bus driver, and later for Gallo Glass.  

After Ed passed away in 2013, she had spent the remainder of her life living in the same home.  After falling in the garage, she was moved to Bethany Home.  Up to that point, she had been very healthy and independent.  She had suffered from treatment for breast cancer, but was a survivor.

A memorial service will be held at Ripon Grace Church, 734 W. Main St. in Ripon on November 16, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.  A small reception will follow the service and all in attendance are welcome.  Condolences may be sent to her family through Jack Miller, 4814 Valley Oak Dr., Loveland, CO  80538 or myrtledp@icloud.com.

A private burial service for the immediate family only will be held at Burlwood Cemetery in Escalon.

She has now gone to heaven to see Jesus.