Dr. Roland Otto Peters

He was the son of Dr. O.K. Peters born Germany and Elizabeth (Elsa) born in Switzerland.  His sister was Erika Peters.  During WWII, Dr. Peters participated in the Morati, Subic Bay, and Saidor invasions in the Pacific.  (Abilene Reporter)

Submitted by: Glenda Van Zandt Stroud

Link: Dr. Peters Obituary

Glenda Stroud remembers Dr. R.O. Peters and relates her personal experiences to Janie Healer Davis.  Janie also has an interesting story about Dr. Peters that is included at the end of Glenda's story.  Thanks to both of them for sharing this with us.

Sharing is what Life is all about.

Dr. Roland Otto Peters assisted our family through really hard times of illnesses.  He determined that Mother should have been dead by 1947 and, as it turned out, she outlived that giant Swede, or so we thought---he was really of German heritage.  His heart was as big as he was.  I had pneumonia every winter, sometimes twice, and usually ended up in the hospital.

When we were at Maryneal, I had come home from the hospital but was having a relapse--1956.  It was icy and cold as hell.  Mother called Dr. Peter's Clinic: after hours, the call was transferred to his nurse.. Anyway, the nurse contacted Dr. Peters who, by this time, was at a dance at the top of the Bluebonnet Hotel. So the bandleader asked if there was anyone from Maryneal in attendance and if so, to come forward for a message.  Henry and Sonny Cook were there. Dr. Peters met them, told them the situation and said I really needed medicine and urgently.. Their answer was "Sure, we'll take it to Maryneal."

So Dr. Peters gave the prescription to Mr. Catchings who ran the drug store (he was there, too). He hustled down Broadway, passed the Courthouse, and unlocked Catchings Drug on the corner. He filled the prescription, and returned, giving the medicine to Henry and Sonny.

They drove all the way to Maryneal, dropped the medicine off at our house (Mother was really surprised as she figured she and Daddy would have to take me back to the hospital.) Then, instead of driving another quarter of a mile and being home, Henry and Sonny Cook drove back to Sweetwater to finish out the dance!   AND THIS WAS BEFORE THEY STRAIGHTENED OUT WILDCAT! --- LATER, some committee named it  9-MILE MOUNTAIN because it was 9 miles from the courthouse .... the name Wildcat Mountain seems to have provided much more local color ... OH, WELL.

Of course,  Dr. Peters was always on the go. I believe he was Mayor for a term. So when he got to feeling run-down and needed rest, he bought a round-trip train ticket from Sweetwater to Dallas, hopped aboard at the station, and slept round-trip except for snacks. Such a wonderful, dedicated man.....and such wonderful folks.

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Janie Healer Davis's account of her remembrances of Dr. Peters:

I have my own Dr. Peters story---it surrounds an accident my mom and dad had in 1941 in a Model A. Seems they came out on the bad end of a collision with a mule. The mule came up on the hood and into the car with my parents, cutting my Mom's neck. When she woke up, there stood Dr. Peters (that big ole guy) in his white doctor's jacket. She thought she had died and Dr. Peters was really St. Peter!!!

At any rate, I remember Mr. & Mrs. Catchings and their drug store, too!  And I even remember the ole Bluebonnet!  What wonderful memories you conjured up!

Share those memories so they won't be lost!

(Janie gives very good advise here... if you have stories of your family, friends, neighbors, etc., won't you send them to be included so that others can relive or experience the lives of of folks in  earlier days in Nolan County?)