WILLIE PEETOM FAMILY
Willie was one year old when he came to the Shattuck area with his parents, brothers and sisters. Willie's wife-to-be, Rosa Bates, was five when she came to this area. Willie and Rosa were neighbors and went to school together for several years.
On June 16, 1920, they ran off and got married. They lived on the old Dale place, north of Shattuck, until September, 1921, when they moved to Willie's father's farm.
Rosa remembers the big snows they used to have; they would use scoop shovels for sleds. Before 1930 there were lots of close neighbors; there were families on each quarter section, sometimes more than one.
In 1930 the Government came out to buy cattle from farmers, because the farmers were not able to feed them. Willie sold them ten head for $10 each. The government men shot the cattle right in the lot and Willie had to dispose of the carcasses.
To Willie and Rosa were born three children, Willie, Jr., born in 1921, is married to Virginia Berry; Ella (Crail) born in 1922; and Naomi (Bradley) born in 1923.
About 1948 Willie bought his father's farm, which they had lived on since a year after their marriage. Willie and Rosa still live in the house built by his father in 1918.
1
1 This story was scanned in from the book "A Pioneer History of Shattuck", page 209. Willie's picture appears in other parts of this book also. Kelly O'Hair scanned this story in December 1997. There is also a story about other Peetoms in this book.