John Peters
Mr. John Robert Peters, age 91 of Patmos, Arkansas, passed away on Sunday, January 6, 2019 at Wadley Regional Medical Center at Hope, Arkansas. He was born on March 24, 1927 to John Barton and Orpha Ophelia Peters in Holdenville, Oklahoma. Mr. Peters grew up in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas, in the town of Gravelly. He graduated from Denison High School (Texas) at the age of 17 and attended the University of Oklahoma under a specialized training program for the U.S. Army. He enlisted at Camp Chaffee in Fort Smith, Arkansas on April 10, 1945 and served in the Military Police Corps during World War II. After his service in the U.S. Army, Mr. Peters relocated with his parents to Carlsbad, New Mexico. He married the love of his life, Elizabeth Zenobia Hodges, on November 6, 1949 and the couple was later blessed with six children. Mr. Peters served as a Deputy Sheriff for the Eddy County Sheriff’s Department and Sgt. for the Carlsbad, NM Police Department during the early 1950s.
After completing a degree in Chemistry, he began his career as Chief Chemist for the Duval Potash Mine in Carlsbad until 1968. He and his family moved to Ft. Stockton, Texas and then Pecos, Texas, where they lived until his retirement from the Pennzoil Sulphur Company in 1989. Mr. Peters always held a special place in his heart for his boyhood home of Arkansas and so he and Elizabeth moved to Patmos, Arkansas upon his retirement. He was instrumental in the formation of the Patmos Municipal Volunteer Fire Department, and also served as mayor from 2013 until his death. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church.
Mr. Peters is preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth, his parents, his brother James Keith Peters, and grandsons William Blaine and Rodney Clay Peters. He is survived by his daughter, Kathryn Keller and husband Austin Ray of Carlsbad, New Mexico, five sons, Glenn Peters of Patmos, Mike Peters of Patmos, David Peters and wife Debbie of Hope, Randy Peters of Patmos and Gary Peters of Patmos, six grandchildren, Beth Valenzuela of Austin, Texas, Jeffrey Keller of Roswell, New Mexico, Duce Hobbs of Oologah, Oklahoma, Donna Bolner of New York State, Sheena Peters of Hope, and Haylee Baker of Texarkana, six great-grandchildren, numerous other relatives and a host of friends.
Viewing will be on Thursday, January 10, 2019 from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M at the Brazzel-Oakcrest Funeral Home.
The service will be held at the Brazzel-Oakcrest Funeral Chapel on Friday, January 11, 2019 at 2:00 P.M. with the Rev. Jerry T. Crane officiating. Interment will be at the Patmos Cemetery. Pallbearers for “Mr. John” will be Dennis Washington, James Hollis, Mark Hollis, Justin Crane, Wayne Landes and Beau Baker. Arrangements are with BRAZZEL/Oakcrest The Funeral Home of Hope, Eddie BRAZZEL, Director. Online registry: www.brazzelfuneralhomes.