Joe Franklin Peters, Sr.

O-SI-YO, My Friends. Welcome to Joe’s last do-se-do. It has been an awesome gig.

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 were devoted to visiting family. A hard life but a good life.

Joe was born on June 29th, 1938, to Grady Peters and Pluma (Barnes) Peters. They lived on ancestral land in the Seven Oaks Community, some two miles Northeast of Sallisaw. Good country living. Joe is the older brother of 3 sisters; Ramona (deceased), Judy (deceased), and Dora Mae.

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. Teacher (Miss Echo Garvin Rider) rode a horse four plus miles to school. Something like half of the other kids walked two miles to school. Joe walked ¾ mile through the woods to school with his 4-year-old sister Ramona sent along to protect him from the woodland goblins. Joe went to high school at Central for 8th and 9th grade, Sallisaw for 10th-12th and graduated in 1956 as a member of the State Honor Society. Thank you, teachers (Paul Post, Lois Dickey, Irene Green, Reba Green, Matte Ward, D.B Young – these people molded character). Some of that took place while bent over their desk.

After high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force on May 30th, 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. Joe came back to Oklahoma to complete his Pilot Training at Vance AFB, Enid, Oklahoma, from 1963-1964. He was a Pilot; B-52, Strategic Air Command from 1964-1967 at Loring AFB in Maine; Andersen AFB, Guam ; and McCoy AFB, Florida; an Aircraft Commander, C-130, Clark AB, Republic of the Philippines from 1968-1969; Instrument Instructor Pilot and Flight commander, C-130, Dyess AFB, Texas from 1970-1972; Operations Officer, Indian Mountain AFS, Alaska, 1972-1973; Aircraft Maintenance Quality Control Office/Field Maintenance Supervisor, Rhein-Main AFB, Federal Republic of Germany, from 1974-1975; and as 12th AF Operations Plans Staff Officer, Bergstrom AFB, Texas, from 1976-1980. Joe retired from active duty on September 30th, 1980. Joe served two tours in Vietnam.

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.

Wrecked two cars, one truck, two airplanes, totaled a big Harley Hawg, thrown from a horse twice and jumped out of a few airplanes just to keep the blood from calcifying.

Joe returned to God’s country 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 hiding within a cheerful disposition and he bit it hard. So – one weekday spring morning after it had stormed all night, he was on his way to Norman. He stopped by her apartment and woke her up at six AM with the following: “The sun is shining, the grass is greening, the air is fresh and clean – will you marry me?” A regular Romeo.

He and Trudy were married on August 22nd, 1992. Together they have 5 children, 24 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. They are of Filipino, Puerto Rican, English, Irish, Mexican, Creek and Cherokee heritage – you know – regular Americans. There is even a bunch of Southern Baptists in there.

In 1995, and at Trudy’s suggestion, they opened the Peters Agency. What Joe did not realize was what Trudy really meant: why don’t you open an office so I will have a place to start a business. Do not get in her way.

They started Peters Agency Care Management in 1995. Through the years they have added Home Health, Provider Services, Hospice, and, most recently, Palliative Care. This remains the Land of Opportunity. Mr. and Mrs. Peters have contributed to Sallisaw and the surrounding areas for many years, are happier for it, and recommend community involvement to all.

If you want to be a success, just being good enough don’t cut it. You must want to excel.

Active Pallbearers will be his Grandsons: Austin Choate, Daniel Choate, Justice Philpot, Ethan Philpot, Noah Peters and Peter Priddy.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Caleb Parker, Joey Almazan, Eric Abele, Matthew Rider, Stephen Priddy, Reid Priddy and Ian Priddy.

Funeral Service for Joe Franklin Peters, Sr., 84, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma will be at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at First Baptist Church in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Cremation is under the direction of Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Service, Inc.

Viewing will be 10 AM – 8 PM Monday at Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home in Sallisaw, OK where the family will greet 6 – 8 PM.