Peter John Weller

Peter John Weller

Washington

Peter John Weller, age 84, of Washington, Iowa, passed away Friday, November 1, 2024, at the Halcyon House in Washington.

Calling hours will begin at noon and continue until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will receive friends from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Washington with Pastor Cindy McKenzie officiating. Funeral services will be streamed on the Immanuel Lutheran Church (Washington, Iowa) Facebook page. Interment will take place at the Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington immediately following. Memorials have been established for the Immanuel Lutheran Church or Midwest Old Threshers. Online condolences may be sent for Peter’s family at www.jonesfh.com.

Peter was born January 13, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Carl Wilhelm and Kathryn (Bieber) Weller. He attended school at the Lane Tech Preparatory High School in Chicago, Illinois, and received his Business Administration Degree from Wartburg College. He then attended the University of Iowa where he received his Master’s Degree in Recent American History in 1964 and moved to Washington later that year. In 1968 Peter’s life was forever transformed after meeting the love of his life in Oxford, England, when Sandra Ray Parker, visiting from California, stepped on to the tour bus he was riding. Their first date was an eight-week tour of Europe followed by a year of love letters and long-distance visits. Peter was united in marriage to Sandra on August 9, 1969, in Rancho Cordova, California. Their shared love of travel, world history and cultures, and careers in education bonded them for the next 55 years as they explored the world together.

Peter was a well-loved teacher and an author. He taught World History, Social Studies, American Government, Economics, and Business for the Washington Community School District for 36 years, retiring in 2000. He was known as a challenging teacher who inspired his students through his annual Middle East peace simulation, deep dives into the functions of our branches of government, and class simulations playing the stock market. Peter was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church where he sang in the church choir, wrote the church newsletter, and was President of the Church Council. He was a member of the Washington Education Association, National Council for Social Studies, and the Iowa Council for Social Studies. Peter was a founding member of the ISEA Geode Regional Education Association.

In support of his student Russell Crone, he was proud to have been one of four national essay finalist teams in the 1983 Middle East Cross-Cultural Tour sponsored by the Arab Women’s Council and Attyeh Foundation. Each student’s essay described how they understood world events and how they would go about crafting a plan to bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Peter, Russell, and the rest of the finalist winners traveled to the Middle East for three weeks learning more of the region’s culture and meeting with world leaders from Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel to hear directly their perspectives.

Since childhood, Peter expressed interest in the world of trains, both those thundering through town and model railroading with local and regional clubs. If it ran on rails, he was fascinated. He joined several organizations over his lifetime. He was a member of the Electric Railfan’s Association in Chicago; the Shoreline Interurban Historical Society of Chicago; the Iowa Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and the Midwest Railway Association. Peter volunteered at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion for many years as a streetcar motorman and conductor.

Peter is survived by his wife, Sandra Weller of Washington, Iowa; son, Tom (Staci) Weller and their children Alexander, Dharma, and Maya of Bellingham, Washington; and son, Paul (Matthew Blackburn) Weller of Carmichael, California.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Kathryn Weller; and his sister, Caroline Weller.