Harold Robert Peterson

After 92 years and a life well lived, Bob passed on April 4 in St. Al's Ontario Hospital with all his family at his side. Bob was born Harold Robert Peterson to Selmer and Gertrude (full-blooded Norwegians) on a snowy day Jan. 14, 1923 in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was premature with no fingernails or eyelashes. He joined older brother Eugene and later brother Dwane came. The family moved to Payette, Idaho in 1930 and a sister Ruth was born. He attended Aman School (one-room) and Westside Elementary in Payette. He was a typical thriving little boy and learned after the first day in school to not wear knickerbockers (the Sioux Falls preferred apparel).
In 1935 they lived on the old Patch place (now the Payette Golf Course). He and his 2 brothers were burning out screech owls when he accidentally burned the field that is now the Payette Golf Course. His folks purchased 40 acres of undeveloped land in 1936 for $450 and in March, 1937, they moved to Grove Road off Hyline Road (Oregon Slope).
Bob graduated from Ontario High School in 1942. In 1943 Bob volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps. He studied airplane engines in Boise and Tucson. He was assigned to the 15th Air Force, 758th Bomb Squadron, 459th Bomb Group. He was stationed in Italy and a B24 flight engineer and top turret gunner, flying on missions including Ploesti Oil Field in Rumania. On the 26th mission their plane took a hit and they eventually had to bail out. His parachute had been slept on by the crew and they wondered if it would open - it did... on the 3rd pull. The co-pilot was watching for Bob's chute to open and leaned out so far, he tumbled out of the plane! As Bob floated down, he heard wood chopping and soon realized the soldiers were shooting at him! He had a hard landing and was greeted by a farmer with a pitch fork. He was taken as a German Prisoner on Aug. 29. On Sept. 17 they arrived at Stalaq Luft IV to join 2000 other prisoners. They were fed very little. On Feb. 4, 1945 they left the camp in 8" of snow onto a 600 mile Black Death March with improper clothing. He was given 2 cups of soup during that almost 90-day march. He had very little Red Cross items and traded a guard soap for a few slices of bread and traded chocolate to a little boy for bread. If they were marching by barns, they would look for any stored root vegetables. He was liberated by USA forces on April 29, 1945 near Bitterfelt, Germany weighing 100 lbs. and full of lice.
Bob overcame that experience by concentrating on the purchase and farming of 80-acres on Hyline Road, north of Ontario in Dec., 1945. Old time family friend Bud Strey (since 1933) and Bob went on a blind date with girls they met at the Log Cabin near New Plymouth (this is when he met Imogene Russell). They eloped on Nov. 19, 1947 and moved into a 3-room home on his property. Bob and Imogene farmed as a team, raising row crop and dairy. In 1950 Dixie Lee joined them. In Jan., 1953 they moved into the new home they built on the property. Kelly Robert joined them in 1953, followed by Shelley Jo in 1956. He gave his children the gift of an excellent raising, great bedtime stories, a wonderful loving/safe life and sense of humor. He would play baseball with the kids before milking, keep the kids active in 4H and take them fishing at Brownlee and the Owyhee Dam for a full day.
In 1975 they had raised their family and sold their herd to grow alfalfa seed, soon farming with son Kelly. Throughout his life, Bob loved the outdoors (hunting, fishing, snowmobiling) and enjoyed their cabin in Sumpter, Or.
Bob was active in the community, playing pinochle with the Hyline bunch for over 30 years each winter. He was board members of: Hyline Community Club, Pioneer PTA, Farmers Supply Coop (Ontario), Ontario School Board, Ontario Train Depot Restoration, Malheur County Historical Society, Crankers Antique Car Club and big supporter of Onion Skin Players. He spoke to several area schools on his war experiences, attended many WWII Bomber reunions and was the last remaining crew member.
Bob valued the importance of food (after starving in WWII), freedom, honesty, hard work, compassion for animals, family and friends. He loved having coffee with Mike Irons and the "coffee bunch" who met weekly at the Plaza Inn. He authored "Knickerbockers West - the Long Way Home" that covered his life and war years. He was curator of "Knickerbockers West Museum". Imogene was his long-time care giver and we are convinced lived so long due to her good care and meals. They were married for over 67 years.
Preceded in death were his parents, siblings Eugene, Dwane, Ruth Griffin and grandson Chris Johnston. He is survived by wife Imogene Peterson, children Dixie (Johnston) Levitt (Mike) of Payette, Kelly (Tanna) of Ontario, Shelley of Boise, grandchildren Alex Johnston (Jamie), Nathosha Fiscarelli (Mike), Brad Levitt (Belinda), Heidi Halsey (James), Shandra Ruiz, Brittany Fenstemacher (Dalton), Jennifer Levitt, 13 great grandchildren, nephews and his faithful companion Buddy.
The family wishes to thank all the staff at Presbyterian Rehab and Payette Genesis Care Homes and St. Al's hospital/Ontario for their great care and compassion over these last nine months. Special thanks to Dr. Andy Peterson who had given him such great care over all these years. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to your local food bank or VA Advocates.
Services will be held Thurs., April 9 at 10:00 a.m. at Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, Payette with burial following at Rosedale Memorial Gardens.

Service Details.

Service

When: Thursday, April 9th, 2015
Location: Funeral Home
Address: