Harold Dean Peters

   Harold Dean Peters was born on December 8, 1926, on the Peters homestead 160-acre farm 3 ½ miles west of Corley, Iowa, to Ernest and Mildred (Sinison) Peters. He was the oldest of four children, with two brothers, Richard and Eugene, and one sister, Pearl. Harold was a member of the Tennant Future Feeders 4-H Club which his dad Ernest started October 4,1941. He was baptized and confirmed at the Shelby Lutheran Church. He started in the first grade at Tennant Consolidated School in Tennant, Iowa, and graduated from Tennant High School in 1944. After graduation he worked for a neighbor, Slim Morris, as a hired hand.

   Harold knew he wanted to farm at a young age. After his brother Richard’s graduation, he and Richard took over their father’s farming operation. Then in late 1950 Harold sold his half of the machinery and livestock to Richard. He was drafted into the United States Army on December 15, 1950, and trained at Camp McCoy, WI, until transferred to Ansbach, Germany, where he served as a supply and ammunition truck driver during the Korean War as the Cold War with Russia was also going on. Harold received an honorable discharge on November 26, 1952. With no farms available to rent at the time, his dad wrote him a letter about a job opening driving school bus for the Tennant School. Ernest bought him a bus and drove it for a month until Harold got home from the service. After returning home, he took over the bus route from his dad and worked for Wes Moore in Tennant building wagons.

   Harold was united in marriage to Verlee Anna Marie Knudsen on February 15, 1954, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church near Jacksonville, Iowa. They rented 80 acres from Grant Green northwest of Tennant where they made their home, milking cows, feeding cattle, raising hogs and chickens, growing row crops, and driving the bus.  In 1970, he purchased the 160-acre “Peters Homestead” farm from his mother.  Harold and Verlee loved to go dancing, either Corley or Avoca dance halls on Saturday nights and getting together with the neighbors playing cards. Harold and Verlee were parents of five children: Bonnie, an infant daughter, David, Connie, and Ernest.

   Harold was a member of the Immanual Lutheran Church in Harlan, Iowa, and the Shelby American Legion Post No. 240.  He served on the Tennant Town Council, the board of directors of Shelby County Farm Bureau, and the board of directors of Farmers Mutual Cooperative Telephone Company for over 35 years. He drove school bus for over 60 years, plus one year as a substitute.

   Harold was preceded in death by his parents Ernest and Mildred (Sinison) Peters; one sister Pearl (Peters) Knudsen; an infant daughter; wife Verlee Anna Marie (Knudsen); and two brothers and two sisters-in-law, Richard and wife Pola, and Eugene and wife Naomi; two nephews- Steve and Dan, and two nieces- Judy and Rita.

   Harold is survived by four children:  Bonnie Utter of Bondurant, David (Bonnie) Peters of Shelby, Connie (Dale) Schroder of Avoca, and Ernest (Lori) Peters of Portsmouth; 13 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; brothers-in-law Lyle Knudsen of Harlan and Merlyn (Jeanette) Knudsen of Elk Horn; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.

   Harold loved farming, fishing, our family campouts, dancing, traveling, he simply - just loved life. Driving around in his 4-wheeler/J.D. Gator every day helping his family with any need. He grew up with horses then progressed to steel-wheel tractors and then to enjoy modern farming practices, as well as, using a cell phone of the latest technology. Thank you for the memories and we will miss you dearly. God bless you now as you dance in Heaven with Mom…..Love you always…. As Harold would say, Play’er Cool.

   Funeral services for Harold Peters, age 97, of Tennant, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Harlan with burial in the Shelby Cemetery at Shelby. Visitation with family greeting friends will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at Heartland Funeral and Cremation Services in Harlan.

Harold’s funeral service will be live streamed through Immanuel Lutheran Church - Harlan, Iowa Facebook Page.