Joe Franklin Peters
d 2023
Biography as of May 16, 2024
Joe was born on June 29, 1938, to Grady Peters and Pluma (Barnes) Peters. They lived on ancestral land two miles Northeast of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. His dad was not much for burning daylight. He would say just getting by is not enough if you want to get ahead. Some of that rubbed off.
Joe started school in 1944 at Seven Oaks Elementary; a one room country school house. He walked 3/4 mile through the woods to school with his 4-year-old sister Ramona. Joe went to high school at Central and Sallisaw and graduated in 1956 as a member of the State Honor Society.
After high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force on May 30, 1956. After Basic Training at Lackland AFB, Texas, he was assigned to USAF Security Service. He attended and graduated from Russian language school at Syracuse University and served overseas in Japan from 1957-1958. From 1958-1959 Joe attended USMA Prep School. In 1959 he won a competitive appointment to the USAF Academy, which he attended from 1959-1963. What followed was a long and illustrious career – mostly flying – including two tours in Vietnam, He retired from active duty on September 30th, 1980.
Joe returned to Oklahoma as a happy single man in 1990. His intent was to stay that way. Hunt and fish and chase whatever. Then a co-worker introduced him to a pair of twinkling blue eyes: He and Trudy were married on August 22, 1992. Together they had five children, 21 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. In 1995 they started Peters Agency Care Management mostly serving the local indigenous community. Through the years they added Home Health, Provider Services, Hospice, and Palliative Care. Along the way, and to circumvent burning any daylight, Joe was a boy scout, a member of the DeMolay, active in intramural athletics, a Cubmaster, M-1 Drill Instructor, taught three differing Sunday School classes, a Lay Minster, a Church treasurer, a member of the County Jail Trust, and Chairman of the Sequoyah County Republican Party.
Joe Peters dedicated his life to serving others. He once shared: “Momma always told me she thought she married a rich man. He had a team of red mules and five cows. We were dry land dirt farmers. Sundays were devoted to morning and evening services; afternoons to visiting family. A hard life but a good life.” Well lived Joe!
Military Career:
1956 Enlisted Basic Tng Lackland AFB
1956-1958 USAF Security Svc Russian Language School Syracuse University and Yokota, Japan
1958-1959 USMA Prep School
1959-1963 USAF Academy 12th Squadron
1963-1964 Pilot Tng Vance AFB, OK
1964-1967 Pilot B-52 Loring AFB, ME/Anderson AFB, Guam/McCoy AFB, FL.
1968-1969 A/C C-130 Clark AB, Philippines
1970-1972 IP/Flt Cmdr C-130 Dyess AFB, TX
1972-1973 Ops Off Indian Mtn AFS, AK
1974-1975 Maintenance QC Officer, Rein-Main AFB, GE
1976-1980 Ops Plans Staff Officer, 12th AF, Bergstrom AFB, TX
1980 Retired, Senior Pilot, Major, USAF