James Peters

Dad’s Eternal Passing

James Marcus Peters was born on May 26, 1928, to the late Andrew and Elseda (Feiereisen) Peters. He was 93 when he joined his beloved wife, Florence, in Heaven on October 3, 2021, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital.

Our father, who’s life on earth ended as it began when as a teenager he was quarantined at the Great Lakes infirmary for tuberculosis, to later in his golden years when he dealt with the debilitating grips of dementia.

In between those two major health events he lived a long, happy, and rewarding life. He was married to his lifelong love of 68 years Florence (Dalsky) Peters and raised their 4 children, Jim Peters, Jr., Rose (Frank) Oelrich, Jeanine (Brian) Tesch, and Jeff (Lorna) Peters.

Shortly after surviving his bout with tuberculosis, he followed his brothers and joined the Navy at the age of 17 to serve our country in World War II. His military career ended with the end of the war and he returned to Motors Service & Supply Corporation. He was employed there for 49 years, 20 of those years he was the General Manager. During this time he became President and CEO of Key Jobbers Warehouse, an automotive parts distribution company serving central Wisconsin. He also served for a decade at the North Central Technical Institute as an advisory board member that oversaw the automotive and diesel engine training departments.

Early in the 60’s, as a member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, he became the secretary of the building committee that oversaw the design and construction of their new church at 1104 South 9th Ave. in Wausau. After the construction of the church, the late Rev. Cletus Abts “volunteered” James to be in charge of the monthly Sunday morning ‘Holy Name Society’s’ breakfasts. He was responsible for acquiring the crew that prepared the food, served the breakfast, and cleaned up the cafeteria after a few hundred parishioners finished their meals. (The parish is currently celebrating their 75th anniversary this year.)

During this time he served as a church trustee as well as an adult mass server when the masses were still recited in Latin. He was also a proud 3rd Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

Besides his duties serving the parish, he was one of the members of the Holy Name ‘Ponies’ inter-church dartball team. He loved getting together every Monday night to shoot darts with fellow parishioners at other churches in the Wausau area. He usually threw his darts at the ‘third base’ diamond so he was counted on to help ‘clean up the bases' during the game. One year, the Ponies’ success led the team to a city wide championship and the following year he was elected president of the Wausau Area Inter-Church Dartball League.

Outside of his church activities he was an avid fisherman and loved fishing for brook trout in and around the neighboring streams of Marathon County. He also loved to go ice fishing in the small lakes of northern Wisconsin. For two seasons he coached the Woodchucks minor league baseball team when his son Jim was a player on the team.

He’s now passing his legacy onto his children; his 6 grandchildren Karissa (Paul), Mariah (Ross), and Gavin James Tesch; Janna (Matt), Neil James, and Evan Oelrich; and his 4 great-grandchildren Bryden James, Kyzie, Liam, and Aria. He is also survived by his brother Lawrence Peters of Wausau.

A funeral mass will be held Friday, October 8, 2021, at 7:00 pm at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, 712 Market Street, Marathon. Visitation will begin at 5:30 pm. Burial at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Wausau will be held Saturday, October 9, at 9:00 am. Rev. Monsignor Joseph Diermeier will officiate.