Kenny Peterson

Kenny Lee Peterson, 48, passed Tuesday, December 13, 2022.

Celebration of Life will be held Monday, December 19, at 2pm at Valier High School Gymnasium.

Kenny was born to Stanley “Tom” and Kathy (Rittel) Peterson on September 29, 1974, in Choteau, MT.  He was the first of two children.  He went to school in Valier and graduated in 1993.  He went on to continue his education at Dawson Community College in Glendive, Montana and Dickinson State University in Dickinson, North Dakota. Kenny was active in rodeo throughout his college years participating in saddle bronc and team roping events.

While taking truck driving courses at Dickinson State University he met the love of his life, Denae Hauck while working at Kmart. They married on September 25, 1998, in Richardton, North Dakota.

While attending college, Kenny bought a semi and hauled cattle over the road.  He also spent many weekends traveling around with friends to team ropings.

In January 1999, Kenny and Denae moved back to his hometown of Valier, MT.  In May 2000, they welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Dalli Jo, and in February 2002 Chance Lee was born and completed their family. In May 2002, they moved to their forever home, south of Valier.

Kenny was an old-fashioned cowboy who was born 100 years too late.  He loved the old western ways.  He was known to turn the speakers up and jam to old country songs from Hoyt Axton and Jonny Horton any time he was working in the office.

Kenny loved everything to do with ranching.  From a young age, he would go from place to place helping neighbors and friends brand every chance he got.  He especially enjoyed any time spent on horseback working cows, working and training dogs, and haying season.

Kenny’s greatest love was his family, especially his two children.  He loved spending time with them, whether it was working with livestock or playing card games. He cherished sharing his love of life, family, animals, rodeo, hunting, and ranching with his children. His greatest hunting achievements were getting a black bear and being alongside his brother-in-law Kevin while he got a big horn sheep. Kenny’s newest hobby was the game of cornhole.  He and his partner Don Davis played in a league on Monday nights in Shelby and would challenge the Gernaat boys any chance they got.

Kenny was one of the hardest working cowboys you would ever meet.  He worked several jobs throughout high school and college.  He was active in Valier Stockman’s Association and Valier School board for a period of time.  Most recently delivered mail in the mornings but couldn’t wait to get back home on the ranch to do whatever task needed to be completed for the day. He always had a list of projects, as work on a ranch is never done.

Kenny was someone who could always make you laugh.  He was constantly cracking jokes whether they were appropriate or not. He had a smile that was contagious, a smirk that you would know he was up to something and had perfect timing to add his infamous one-liners. Even in his last weeks of life when everyone thought he was sleeping, he would chime in with one of those one-lines and continue to make people laugh.

Kenny looked forward to the annual Peterson family campout. He was known for waterskiing and paddle boarding in his Wranglers, the rope swings at Hungry Horse and Tally Lake which in one particular instance he forgot to lift his feet high enough and partaking in the family water-fights that would occur.

Kenny is survived by his wife, Denae; children, Dalli and Chance; his parents, Tom and Kathy Peterson all of Valier; sister, Christy (Kevin) Kovatch of Choteau; mother-in-law, Marilyn (Rocky) Dukart of Dickinson, ND; father-in-law, Ray (Maxine) Hauck of Dickinson, ND; and sister-in-law, Dodi Hauck of Richardton, ND; as well as several nephews, Kolby Kovatch, Ryder (Dorothy) Bohlman, Layton (Clancy Sayer) Bohlman, Trey Bohlman, nieces Kelci & Kylie Kovatch; and one great niece, Heidi Bohlman.

He is preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents and Uncle Ron Shelby.