Meet your neighbor: Dan Peters

If you are a long-time resident of Winfield, chances are you have invited this person into your home at least once. Meet Dan Peters, Winfield’s resident plumber for 41 years. Peters the Plumber. Your A/C on the fritz, toilet overflowing, or an appliance requiring repair? Then Dan was the man to call. Dan was on call 24/7 to make sure Winfield residents were not without essentials any longer than necessary, even if it meant sometimes being called out at inconvenient times.

Dan was born Oct. 3, 1940, in Cotter, Iowa. His parents were Jarrett and Alice (Isom) Peters. He had four sisters that included twins, Sharon Mapel of Columbus Junction and the late Karen Nordquist, Sadie Gevock of Washington and the late Patricia Neece. Dan also had two brothers, Calvin and Louis, both deceased.

Dan attended “Cotter Tech” from Kindergarten until his senior year of high school when Columbus Junction and Cotter merged and he finished high school at Columbus Junction, graduating there in 1958.

At a football game in the fall of 1959, he met his future wife, Anita Ross. The game was Winfield versus Ainsworth and Dan’s brother Calvin was the coach for Ainsworth. Dan and Anita were married Dec. 3, 1960, at the Winfield United Methodist Church and have celebrated 64 years of marriage.

Their first home was in Columbus Junction where Dan worked as a truck driver. Next, they moved to Mediapolis where Dan was an outside salesman for Mediapolis Feed and Grain. From there, the Peters moved to Monticello where Dan continued his work in sales for Murphy Feed, then on to Maquoketa, Iowa. Still working in sales, he was promoted to Assistant Branch Manager. On the move again, The Peters moved to Geneseo, Illinois where Dan was branch manager for W.R. Grace.

“My territory covered two-thirds of the state and 110 people reported to me,” said Dan with a hint of pride in his reply.

However, having to move so often began to wear on Dan, and in 1968 the family moved to Winfield where Dan established Dan’s Plumbing and Heating. He struck out on his own for two reasons: 1) To be able to spend more time with his family; 2) He liked to work with his hands.

“Anita and I owned and operated the business for 41 years. We had good help and good customers,” said Dan.

He retired in 2009 due to health issues.

By the time Dan and Anita moved to Winfield, a daughter had joined the family. Terri, their only child, graduated from WMU in 1983. She married Greg Townsend, and they live in Moweaqua, Illinois. Terri works at Decatur Hospital and Greg is the owner of G.T. Construction. They are the parents of two children, Collin and Rachel. Dan and Anita also have two great-grandchildren: Greenleigh and Crew John.

When asked what the most challenging part of his career was, Dan answered, “Leaving a guaranteed income, all expenses paid, a car, and a retirement fund to a job with no guarantees. I was told if it didn’t work out, W. R. Grace would find a job for me.”

When Dan wasn’t installing HVACs or unstopping a sink or doing any one of the number of issues his profession entailed, he was active in several community projects. He was president of the Chamber of Commerce when they recruited Dr. Nordyke to come to Winfield and “started the ball rolling” to get a nursing home in Winfield. Installing HVACs was a major project as he installed 21 HVACs in seven churches and 23 out of 31 businesses.

“A lot of commercial work for a small shop,” said Dan.

“Go to trade school,” is Dan’s advice for youth, to get paid big bucks without a lifetime of debt, adding, “If you like to work.”

Dan’s pet peeve is “People that think they are better than anybody else.” Today, Dan enjoys spending time with family, friends and their activities. Doing yard work is a hobby Dan enjoys as is evident by the immaculate yard surrounding their home. When asked what he would change, he said he, “Would love to see God put back in schools, organizations and government.”

The people Dan admires most are his Mom, Dad, and Gerald Ross.

“They taught me how to work,” said Dan. “Work, show respect, earn it and be who you are.”

Dan concluded his interview by saying, “Winfield is a perfect place to raise a family. They have been good to us. I’m proud of my wife, child, family, friends and the community.”

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