Henry Peters

Interview Date: 18 February 2023

Henry Peters was 91 years of age when he was interviewed. He has lived in the Brimfield area his entire life. Henry was born on a farm off Thousand Dollar Road where he lived with his parents Harry Sr. and Sena Behrends Peters and ten brothers and sisters. In this interview, Henry tells of his time growing up on the farm and becoming a farmer on his own. He talks about his attendance at Bramble School and Brimfield High School and dating his soon-to-be wife Harriett Clark. Henry shares photos from his military service in the Korean War. Henry also talks about the jobs he has had and retiring from the strip coal mines. Community service is a key part of this interview as Henry talks about his volunteer work with the Brimfield American Legion and Brimfield Men’s Club. 

Introduction 
1:00 Parents 
1:54 Farm Life 
4:25 Sister Wilma 
5:40 Sick as a baby; Dr. Welch 
7:30 Farm-automobiles 
9:14 World War 2 
10:10 family photos 
11:33 St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 
14:24 Bramble School 
18:46 Brimfield High School 
21:45 Bramble-bull 
22:45 Brimfield High School 
14:59 Dating in high school 
28:02 Military service 
32:10 Built first home 
34:16 Honor Flight 
36:20 Marriage 
39:07 Adult jobs 
39:39 Peabody Coal Mine 
45:45 Changes in farming 
47:00 Community Service 
53:30 Conclusion 

Farm life  
Dr. Welch  
hard road  
vintage cars  
World War 2  
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church  
Fairview Farms  
carillon  
Glen Johnson  
strip coal mining  
WPA  
outhouse 
Ms. Alice Reents  
Brimfield High School  
Bramble School 
hitch hike 
free movies 
Ewalt’s 
American Legion 
Brimfield Men’s Club 
Brimfield Health Center 
Frank Binder 

Interviewed by : Kim Claybaugh Hanks

Interview Format : Zoom with Slideshow Presentation

Total Time : 56:32

The interview is archived at the Brimfield Public Library District in Brimfield, Illinois.

The Brimfield Oral History Project is a long-term effort to record the stories of Brimfield’s past in the voices of those who remember and make these original sources available for generations to come. This collaboration is a partnership between the Brimfield Public Library District, the Brimfield Historical Society, and the Peoria County Genealogical Society.

Readers of interview transcripts, if available, should bear in mind that this is a transcript of the spoken word and that the interviewer, interviewee, and editors sought to preserve the interview as recorded. Brimfield Public Library District and project volunteers are not responsible for the factual accuracy of this interview, nor for the opinions expressed within.

© Brimfield Public Library District 2023

This interview and accompanying documents may be used for educational and non-commercial purposes without the written permission of the Brimfield Public Library District. However, the Fair Use criteria of Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 must be followed. These materials may not be deposited in other repositories or used for resale or commercial purposes without authorization from the Brimfield Public Library District Director.