James W. Peters, 96, of Galesburg, died at 11:43 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Allure of Knox County.
He was born Friday, November 12, 1926, in Evansville, Illinois, the son of Phillip R. and Flora “Irene” (Beattie) Peters. He married Barbara A. Larson in 1950 in Galesburg. She preceded him in death on June 3, 2012, after 62 years of marriage.
He is survived by a son, James “Jamie” R. (Jan) Peters of Galesburg; two grandchildren, Elizabeth (Andrew) Cecil of Solon, Iowa and John Peters of Galesburg; three great grandsons, James, Joseph, and Jacob Cecil, all of Solon; and a cousin, Glen Lemmerman of Evansville, Illinois. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents.
Jim graduated from West Deer High School in Pennsylvania in 1948 and attended the University of Illinois Galesburg Campus for two years. He was employed as a clerk by the CB&Q/Burlington Northern Railroad for 39 years, before retiring in 1988.
He served as a Quartermaster in the United States Navy from 1944 until 1946 during World War II. He again served from 1951 to 1952 during the Korean Conflict. Jim was a member of the VFW. In September 2010, Jim proudly took the Quad City Honor Flight to Washington D.C.
He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where he had served as a deacon. Jim was a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Knights Templar and Order of Eastern Star. He enjoyed fishing and fly tying. He was also a talented artist who enjoyed painting, drawing, and photography.
Cremation will be accorded. Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, April 30, 2023, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services Galesburg Chapel. Pastor Jordan Knight will officiate. Burial will be in Caledonia Cemetery in Sparta, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.h-p-w.com.
