Willie G. Peters was born in Topeka, KS on August 24, 1938, and passed away on November 6, 2020, in Oberlin, KS.
He was raised on the family farm in Red Willow County, NE. Willie
was a farmer by trade and had many other passions in his life. He loved
riding horses and motorcycles, hunting, watching football, John Wayne
movies, and flying. He took great interest in playing cards, usually
pitch at the sale barn or the Elks Club. He also enjoyed driving his
semi-truck to haul cows, hay, or anything else to make extra money.
Willie learned how to fly at a young age and worked as a spray pilot
shortly after obtaining his commercial pilot license. His favorite
airplane was the yellow Super Cub. Willie's friends and family have
fond memories of flying with him. Those flights usually included coyote
hunting, checking cows, or observing the farm from the lowest altitude
possible.
Willie's favorite color was red, and he believed everything was
better in red; with the exception of his John Deere green tractors.
Willie worked hard and played hard. He had a stroke at the age of 62
while Elk hunting in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Willie continued to
work and live on the farm for as long as his health would allow him. In
recent years, he was cared for at the nursing home, where COVID-19
ended his life.
Willie is survived by two sons: Rick Peters of Elfrida, AZ, and
Randy (Lynda) Peters of Oberlin, KS; one daughter: Suzanne Close (Craig)
of Pensacola, FL; nine grandchildren: Travis, Justin (Erin), CJ
(Jenny), Caleb (Kelsey), Garrett (Amie), Toby (Vanessa), Nolan (Elisha),
Jillian (Brandon), and Braden; and eighteen great grandchildren with
two more on the way. Also surviving Willie are his sister, Jane
Pennock, and numerous other relatives and friends.
Preceding Willie in death are his parents, Cloyd and Naomi Peters;
an infant brother, Sheldon; and a daughter-in-law, Jill Peters.