Iola (Pete) Sanders

Iola (Pete) Sanders was prematurely born to Tom and Agnes Aston, Jan 3, 1926 at 229 Mariner St, Prescott during a shopping trip from Jerome. Died May 15, 2026 in Rm 229, with most of her “marbles” (Full Circle:229 to 229). Her deteriorating health started from a visit to ER, due to a Brown recluse spider bite, last September.

Many thanks to The Bluffs, that became part of the family!

Pete had a fun childhood growing up in Jerome, AZ, a company owned mining town with lots of amenities like Swimming pool with high diving boards and tennis courts. Pete enjoyed diving, tennis, horseback riding, roller skating dancing at the Indian Gardens Roller Rink, dancing with the Army Cadets in Clarkdale, and riding her scooter down from her home on Sunshine Hill. Pete’s mother was like a full-time socker mom, taking Pete and friends to all these activities.

Pete graduated from Mingus Union High School in 1944 with 25 alumni.

Pete then attended AZ State Teachers College (NAU) and earned a teaching degree in 1948. She met her future husband, James Sanders, at the Hiking Club. She taught 2nd grade until 1954 and then spent her time raising her kids and teaching piano lessons. Pete still had fond memories of some of her students, like Billy Trimble. Pete and Jim were avid skiers. Occasionally they’d ski from the old Snowbowl to Hwy 180.

Pete played the Base Viol in the Symphony Orchestra for 54 years and was a member of the Symphony Guild for 17yr. She was devastated, 25 years ago, when they felt she was too old to manage her large Bass and…

Pete enjoyed gold panning, gardening, and cutting firewood into her 90s.

In her later years, she became skilled at observing and interpreting people’s auras and practiced Dowsing and Color Healing. She gave related lectures at the Adult Center.

Her husband James died in 2023 at 103. They were married 77 yr. Note: 1 in 3,000 currently make it to 100 (1 in 34 born today). 1 in 1 million couples both make it to 100).

Pete is dearly missed by her sons Roy (Pam) of San Diego, David of Flagstaff, and friends.

The Picture is from the Daily Sun 4/18/20 depicting our vision of her watching us from heaven “pulling our strings”

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On behalf of Pete, PLEASE DO the following to enjoy life past your 80s:

Take care of any old minor injuries, they become debilitating in later years.

Any family history or signs of Macular Degeneration, take low doses of L-Dopa, a Parkinson Drug, to subdue it. Shots in the Eye and Eye vitamins have marginal effect but still utilize them. Goole: “L-dopa AMD McKay”

Get your Shingles Shots, no matter how old you are. Pete had a rough time with shingles at 95 and never fully recovered.

If Pete had followed the above, she’d still be “in her 70s”.