John H. Peters
November 3, 1927 – October 29, 2022
John H. Peters was born at home in Springhill, Indiana to Bill and Flora (Blake) Peters. A storied beginning, John was born in the former Springhill School House which his family had converted into their home a few years before his arrival. When he was three years old, his family moved from Spring Hill to the New Point area. There, John graduated New Point School in 1945.
In 1946, toward the end of World War II, John was called up to the US Army. From 1950-51, John served in Korea as a member of the 430th Construction Engineer Battalion.
John never had a job he did not like, including his work as a bus driver for the school district beginning when he was just 16 years old. He worked as a salesman for the Sears and Roebuck Catalog Store in Greensburg, Indiana for twenty-five years from 1958 until his retirement in 1983. Although, very few could say John ever retired, as he continued to work on his farm for the next four decades. Many in Greensburg and throughout the region know John best for his love of small farm equipment. A salesman at heart, John routinely traveled to purchase, trade, and sell farm equipment all over the state of Indiana and beyond. John also served eight years as a Decatur County councilman.
It wasn’t just the sale of farm equipment that kept John busy, however, a tractor was usually pretty close by. John took enormous pride in showing his rare 1962 Ford 4X4 Powermaster tractor at many antique tractor shows throughout the Midwest, and never missed the chance to drive it in the Annual Decatur County Parade.
John, by the Masons of Indiana, recently received the distinguished “50 Years a Past Master Award”. He was recognized as a Past Master in good standing of the Masonic Fraternity for a period of 50 years or more. He considered this a great honor.
More important than his army service, sales acumen, and rare farm equipment combined, John was a dedicated and loving family man. On November 2,1952, John married the love of his life, Nola Sebastian at the Sandcreek Baptist Church.
John and Nola enjoyed seventy years of marriage, and it was rare to find one too far away from the other. Together, John and Nola had four children and took pride in creating a generous and hardworking family.
John always said, “Keep everything simple, don’t make life too complicated.” This was the best piece of knowledge he used and demonstrated in his own life, as long as you keep things simple, the easier and happier life can be.
John is survived by his wife Nola Peters, son Danny Peters and his wife Bonnie, son Duane Peters, daughter Debbie and her husband Tom Lawson, and daughter Jan and her husband Donald Ziegenfus, as well as 7 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two siblings, Ruth Ainsworth and Donald Peters, both of Greensburg, along with many close extended Peters and Sebastian family members. John was preceded in death by his parents, sister Norma Lee Peters, Maude Kathryn (Peters) Hazelrigg, Mary Margaret (Peters) Maynard, Thelma (Peters) Overhauser, and brothers William “Bill” Peters, and Dale Peters.
Visitation will be held Thursday, November 3, 2022 from 4 to 7:00 p.m. at Porter-Oliger-Pearson Funeral Home in Greensburg followed by Masonic services at 7:00 p.m. conducted by the New Point Masonic Lodge #255. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday at the funeral home with Rev. Brad Douglas officiating. Burial with full military graveside services will follow at the South Park Cemetery in Greensburg. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Indiana Honor Flight or Sandcreek Baptist Church.
Indy Honor Flight, P.O. Box 10, Plainfield, IN 46168 indyhonorflight.org
Sandcreek Baptist Church, 3177 E. County Rd. 300 S, Greensburg, IN 47240
Online condolences can be made to the family at www.popfuneralhome.com