Elroy John Peters
COLUMBIA — Elroy John Peters was a soldier, humanitarian, agronomist and loving family man.
"He was a good father and grandfather," Elizabeth Peters, his daughter, said. "He was a good role model and a good family man."
Mr. Peters died at the Truman Veterans Hospital on Monday, Dec. 13, 2010. He was 88.
Mr. Peters was born on June 10, 1922, in Kaukauna, Wis., the son of John W. and Hilda Dobbs Peters.
He married Kathryn Ann Cybulski on June 27, 1953. She died in 1999. On Oct. 21, 2000, Mr. Peters married Dorothy Gabler Stoerker, with whom he enjoyed traveling.
"They went to England and California," Matthew Peters, his son, said.
Mr. Peters was a navigator bombardier on a B-17 bombing plane during World War II. He was stationed in England and flew missions over Europe. He was a member of the 457th Bomber Group of the 8th Army.
Following the war, Mr. Peters received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1956 and took a position as an agronomist for the U.S. Department of Agriculutre at MU from 1956 until his retirement in 1985.
"He did research in weed control," Elizabeth Peters said. "He and graduate students from the MU School of Agriculture did research on wheat they grow to feed cattle. If you have wild onions, which can be a weed, in the wheat, and you feed it to the cow, it makes the milk sour."
After his retirement, Mr. Peters went to Liberia to work for the U.S. Agency for International Development. He worked at a research station to train Liberian doctoral students, and he performed research from 1985 to 1987 to improve Liberian crop yields.
Mr. Peters was also active in the Trinity Lutheran Church, the Golden K Kiwanis Club, Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park and the Pachyderm Club. He was a dedicated Cardinals fan as well.
Mr. Peters is survived by his wife, Dorothy Gabler Stoerker; three children, Elizabeth Peters, Matthew Peters and his wife, Dawn, and Ann Kathryn Peters, all of Columbia; and five grandchildren.
Three of Mr. Peters' sons, Elroy John Peters Jr., John Elroy Peters and James Mark Peters; one brother, Maynard Peters; one sister, Irene Holladay; and one grandchild, Daniel Ian Peters, died earlier.
Visitation will be held, from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at Memorial Funeral Home at 1217 Business Loop 70 W. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2201 W Rollins Road. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, Honor Flight, 300 E. Auburn Ave., Springfield, OH 45505, or Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, 200 S. Old 63, Suite 204, Columbia, MO 65201.
Tributes can be posted online at memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com.
