Richard Howard Peters

Richard Howard Peters, the son of Ernest and Mildred (Sinison) Peters, was born on January 19, 1928, in rural Tennant, Iowa. He was baptized and confirmed as a member of the Shelby Lutheran Church in Shelby, Iowa. Richard attended Tennant Consolidated School and graduated from high school in 1946. Together with his brother, Harold, he began farming his parents’ land in 1947. On May 12, 1951, Richard married Pola Ann Ericksen at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, Iowa. The couple continued to live on and farm the family land, where Richard raised dairy cattle and hogs in addition to his grain crops. Richard served in the Army Reserves from 1951 through 1959, retiring with the rank of Sergeant First Class.

In 1966, Richard and Pola purchased a 200 acre farm northwest of Avoca, Iowa, from his great-uncle, Arthur Nissen. In 1970, they moved into their newly built home on this land and later, added sheds, buildings, and granaries to their farmstead. For his efforts, Richard received the Farm Conservation Award in 1976.

Richard was a member of the United Lutheran Church in Shelby, Iowa. He had served as a Shelby-Tennant Community School board member for six years. He enjoyed making wooden and metal crafts, dancing, golfing, and traveling. Over the past few years, he completed a number of colorful paint-by-number pictures, and gave many of them to his children and grandchildren.

Richard H. Peters died on Wednesday, August 31, 2005, at his home in rural Shelby, Iowa, at the age of 77 years, 7 months, and 12 days.

Preceding Richard in death were his parents and one sister, Pearl Knudsen. Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Pola Peters of Shelby, Iowa; four daughters, Carol Brigandi and Judy Peters, both of Omaha, Nebraska, Becky (Richard) Udron of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Rita (Kevin) Epperson of Council Bluffs, Iowa; one son, Steven (Joyce) Peters of Humboldt, Iowa; two brothers, Harold Peters and Eugene (Naomi) Peters, both of Tennant, Iowa; one aunt, Pearl (Leslie) West of Simla, Colorado; ten grandchildren, Kyla Peters, Dylan Peters, Sarah Peters, and Kelsey Peters, all of Humboldt, Iowa, Katie Udron and Sara Udron, both of Little Rock, Arkansas, and Heath Epperson, Brett Epperson, Ryan Epperson, and Amy Jo Epperson, all of Council Bluffs, Iowa; and other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, September 3, 2005, at the United Lutheran Church in Shelby, Iowa, with Pastor Duane Anunson officiating. Shirley Pattee served as organist, and Bonnie Peters was the soloist. Casket bearers were Ron Peters, David Peters, Ernest Peters, Max Knudsen, Wayne Petersen, and Carl Petersen. Burial was in the Shelby Cemetery in Shelby, Iowa. The Burmeister-Johannsen Funeral Home in Harlan, Iowa, was in charge of the arrangements.