 In Minnie's published biography "High Divide", she is described as a “tempered-steel character loved by some, admired by most and respected by all.”

Born in Forks, Washington State in 1897, on a ranch along the Hoko River near Lake Ozette.From an early age, she learned how to work the ranch livestock, horse riding and handling, and to care for the land.In 1915, she married Oscar Peterson Sr., who was also a child of Swedish emigrant parents.