Obituary of Donald Peters

View Video Tribute Longtime Stratton, Colorado resident Donald Elmer Peters passed away on Sunday, July 29, 2007 at the age of 70. He was born to Doris (Proctor) and Elmer Peters on June 2, 1937. Donald attended school at the Smelker Country School for five years. He then finished his schooling with the Stratton School District and graduated in 1955. After working for a farmer in the summer of 1955, he left on September 1, 1955 and took his grandmother and her brother on vacation for eight weeks to see seven states along with Canada. After traveling 5000 miles, they returned back home. The next two years, he worked construction in Kansas and Colorado. He also worked at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs for a while. From there he moved to Denver and worked in the Welding Shop. He met his wife Willa Johnson and they got married on Labor Day, September 2, 1957. In 1958, Donald and Willa move to Stratton, where he worked and ran a gas station that summer, and then they moved to Burlington that winter to also work at a gas station. On September 19, 1958, their first child Theresa was born and in May of 1959, Donald went to work for a farmer east of Burlington, and on May 26, 1960 their second child Rick was born. In December of 1961, Don moved his family to the family farm south of Stratton and they lived there until November 1978 when they moved to town. In May of 1973, Don was elected to the Stratton School Board and held this position for 5 years. He then went to work for the Stratton School District as a Maintenance Supervisor for twenty three and a half years before retiring. During that time he also served 16 years on the town board, and the last 4 years as the Mayor of Stratton. During his time as Mayor, the Stratton swimming pool was built, and they purchased the property for the library and built the new addition on to the library. He also served 21 years on the Stratton Volunteer Fire Department, and was the Fire Chief as well. Donald was preceded in death by his parents, a sister and grandparents. He is survived by his wife Willa of 49 years, his daughter Theresa Headley and her husband Dean of Burlington, and his son Rick and wife Lori of Dallas, Texas. He is also survived by two grandsons Jesse Martens and Cody Martens and a new granddaughter Alexa Marie Peters; one sister Leona Krentz and her husband John of Cheyenne Wells, Colorado; a brother-in-law Ron Hartley of Burlington, Colorado as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral Services for Mr. Peters was held on Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 10:00 AM at the Stratton Activities Center in Stratton with Pastor Dustin Sells officiating. Private family inurnment will be held at a later date in the Claremont Cemetery in Stratton. Visitation was held on Friday, August 3, 2007 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Love Funeral Home in Burlington. Memorials may be made in Donald’s name to the Stratton Public Library or to the Stratton Municipal Swimming Pool and may be left at the First National Bank in Stratton.