the rest of the story:
grandpa was such a joker ! (click above)
the rest of the story: nancy was laughing but guess who wasn't so happy in her arms (click above)
APPRECIATING the LEO PETERS 2 FAMILY...because my late grandfather Leo Peters was the first to trademark the "Butterball" name (which he later sold to the turkey company ie armour, but retained the rights to use the name for his butter factory, ie butterball farms,) and was also involved in various meat endeavors, and my memories of Thanksgiving revolve around a big meal at the "butterball mansion" I am adding a thanksgiving section to this blog!
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Friday, June 13, 2025
Fwd: re Abraham Peters
gemini ai:
"Abraham Peters was indeed one of the landowners whose property was purchased by George F. Getz for the creation of his renowned Lakewood Farm and Zoo.
Here are the details:
- George F. Getz, a wealthy Chicago coal magnate, began developing his massive estate, Lakewood Farm, in Holland, Michigan, starting in 1910.
- In September 1913, George Getz purchased an additional 64 acres of land from Hyo Bos and Abraham Peters. This acquisition was crucial to expanding Lakewood Farm, which eventually grew to 253 acres along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
- Getz subsequently developed Lakewood Farm into not only a thriving fruit and poultry operation but also a famous private zoo that was open to the public, featuring a wide array of exotic animals. The zoo operated from approximately 1915 to 1933.
- The site of Lakewood Farm and Zoo (also known as the Getz Zoo) is now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, located on Lakeshore Avenue in Holland, Michigan.
So, Abraham Peters was a key individual in the land acquisition that allowed for the expansion of what became the significant Lakewood Farm and Zoo. "
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Friday, November 29, 2024
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Article re Butterball Farms after the death of Leo Peters
https://familybusinessmagazine.com/succession/business-leadership/spreading-success/
There's a part in this article that talks about the (original sisters/daughters from the 1st marriage ) owning the estate after their mother died, and says Leo Peters went after their share after she died. I'm not sure this is completely clear or accurate. Or at least it glosses over some of the meanness of how Leo Peters went after it versus his daughters from his first marriage.
Maybe I'll talk more about this later.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Saturday, August 10, 2024
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Thursday, November 23, 2023
🦃🇺🇲✌️🙏✝️👍"George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation October 3, 1789'
Thanksgiving Proclamation
[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the
United States of America.
a Proclamation:
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go: Washington
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Monday, November 20, 2023
Who did Mark Peters fire the day his dad died? Story link disappeared
Spreading success | Family Business Magazine
www.familybusinessmagazine.com › spre...
leo peters butterball from www.familybusinessmagazine.com
"Leo Peters died at 6 a.m.; by 10 a.m. that same day, Mark Peters had fired ... Though he's the driving force for positive change at Butterball Farms, Mark Peters.."
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Join me on Ibotta!
Hey! I think you'd like this free app I use called Ibotta to get cash back on purchases. Sign up and get started with my referral code sygmkse.
I'll earn some cash and you'll get access to free Thanksgiving offers! Sign up at →
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Friday, August 18, 2023
"At the Beginning of Creation God made male & female. ‘
"At the Beginning of Creation God made male & female. 'For this reason a man will leave his parents & be united to his wife, & the two will become One flesh.' So they are no longer two, but One flesh. Therefore what God has joined together let no one separate"
-Mark 10:6
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Matt McConaughey the actor looks like a sloppy Mark Peters , CEO of Butterball Farms
Matt McConaughey the actor looks like a sloppy Mark Peters , CEO of Butterball Farms
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Thursday, December 29, 2022
re Michigan Wheel, a propeller company, & founder Charles Evenson (& Butterball Farms)
Fun fact: I knew the founder, Charles Evenson, when he was a retired elderly gentleman, because when I was a student at Calvin College I worked for him as a personal assistant. I would drive him & his wife to various country clubs & restaurants & dine with them etc.
At the time I knew he was the founder of Michigan Wheel, but didn't realize until years later that it was located right next to my late grandfather's butter factory, Butterball Farms and that they probably knew each other. Small world.
Monday, November 21, 2022
Monday, October 24, 2022
Peters Family Not Always in Agreement with One Another : a grandson refutes his grandfather Leo Peters in Chimes 1989
Peters Family Not Always in Agreement with One Another : a grandson refutes his grandfather Leo Peters in Calvin Chimes 1989
(better viewing) Remembering Beloved Aunt Martha (Van Genderen) 1937-2022
(Van Genderen)
1937-2022
see photo LINK
also see
--" If u declare with your mouth,
"Jesus is Lord," & believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead,
u will be saved."
Romans 10.9
included on Eagles blog because she was an Eagles alumnus .
included on Calvin blog because she was a Calvin alumnus.
included on Grand Rapids blog because that's where she grew up.
included on Fuller Seminary blog because she was a member of the board of trustees.
included on Jackson Hole blog because she lived there .
included on Peters blog because she was the daughter of Leo & Helen Peters.
included on CRC blog because all the Peters family were part of the CRC community
Remembering Aunt Martha (Van Genderen) 1937-2022
included on Eagles blog because she was an Eagles alumnus .
included on Calvin blog because she was a Calvin alumnus.
included on Grand Rapids blog because that's where she grew up.
included on Fuller Seminary blog because she was a member of the board of trustees.
included on Jackson Hole blog because she lived there .
included on Peters blog because she was the daughter of Leo Peters.
(Van Genderen)
1937-2022
see LINK
" If u declare with your mouth,
"Jesus is Lord," & believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead,
u will be saved."
Romans 10.9
Sunday, October 23, 2022
RIP MVG ❤️🙏✝️ : Martha Van Genderen October 16, 1937 — October 18, 2022
In addition to the below information she was also a graduate of Grand Rapids Christian High and also she and her husband were on the Fuller Semimary Board of Trustees for many years.
" Martha Van Genderen
October 16, 1937
— October 18, 2022
Jackson, WY
A Wonderful Wyoming Woman passed last week:
Martha Van Genderen died on October 18, 2022, two days after her 85th birthday in St John's ICU surrounded by her husband and about 15 of St. John's finest Doctors and Nurses. She died of a ruptured aortic aneurism.
Martha would be embarrassed if she knew her family was writing a memorial about her and mortified if she thought it would be in a newspaper. Martha was a very private person.
When thinking of words or phrases to describe Martha words like kind, generous, selfless, thoughtful, patient, energetic, peacemaker, athletic, analytical, logical, willing to tackle any project, animal and nature lover, great skier and hiker, extraordinary mother and faithful companion come to mind.
Martha was born in Chicago, Il on October 16, 1937, to Leo Peters and Helen Mills Peters. She was the oldest of 8 sisters and one brother. She grew up in Evanston, Il and attended Evanston Township High School. She graduated from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI) in 3 years with a major in Mathematics and minors in Philosophy, French and Chemistry. Martha was a class Vice President and sang in the Radio Choir. Martha next attended Harvard University where she received a Master of Arts and Teaching in Mathematics.
While at Calvin College, Martha met her husband Warren Van Genderen They married upon Martha's graduation from Harvard. She then proceeded to teach high school math while Warren finished graduate school. Martha loved teaching and thought it was the most honorable of all professions. She innovated many programs over the years including "Math for Moms" (for Mons that were terrified of math), "School in the Exploratorium" (San Francisco), and "How to do well on your SAT Exam". (Martha taught and tutored numerous students who were National Merit Scholars) Martha taught in many school districts around the country depending on where her husband was working. Newton and Arlington, Massachusetts, Boulder, Colorado, The Katherine Branson School, Ross, California, Bellevue Christian school, Bellevue, Washington and Jackson High School, Jackson, Wyoming.
Martha was an amazing Mom. She and Warren had 4 children: Todd, Craig, Eric, and Courtney. Martha never missed a chance to teach lessons from daily life. She was always the first to volunteer for Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout leader, Children church choir, "Expanding your Horizons" and a junior high school band because the school had no music program. She drove boys to the San Francisco Boys Chorus for years. She had an active interest in each of her kid's activities and encouraged them to participate and always do their best. She had a "Mom's" love in her heart for each of her children until her dying day.
Grandchildren were icing on the cake. She followed their lives and activities with the same zeal as her own children always looking for opportunities to show them new things or books and ready to take them to new places particularly science museums.
When Martha discovered Wyoming, she knew she had found her special place on Earth. She loved the mountain peaks and vistas, the wildlife, the flora and the fauna, most of which she knew by name. If she did not know its name, she would immediately look it up in a guidebook. She loved her own Wyoming lifestyle. She could fix almost anything. (Change car headlights and taillights, change car tires, fixed light switches, rewire lamps, hang wallpaper, paint walls or lay tile or carpet.) She always kept a toolbox in her car.
Martha loved working in the yard, in her garden, and shoveling snow. (Yes, that is true. She found it therapeutic. She refused to use the snow blower her husband bought her for her birthday—maybe not the best idea for a women's birthday present)
Martha could fly an airplane, drive a snowmobile, ride a bicycle, drive a water ski boat, paddle a canoe and kayak, or row a river boat. She was a superb sailor and expert canoeist. She took kids to the Northern Boundary Waters in Minnesota.
Martha was an excellent skier. She could ski any slope with great form. She also did a lot of cross-country skiing, particularly in GTNP. Martha was still actively skiing at 85. She climbed the Grand Teton with Bill Briggs as her guide. She hiked in the GTNP on a regular basis each summer. When her children were younger, she took them backpacking throughout the Jackson Hole area.
Writing was another skill at which Martha excelled. She was a sometimes poet, oil paint artist, calligrapher, needle pointer, knitter, and piano player. Martha had an excellent alto voice and sang in many choirs starting in high school. Martha loved to read and finished about one book a week. Her bedtime reading was the Economist.
Martha volunteered wherever she lived. In Williamstown, Massachusetts she was a docent at the Clark Art Institute as well as doing "Reading for the Blind" In San Francisco she started "School in the Exploratorium". In Bozeman she volunteered at the Montana Intercountry Adoption Agency. In Jackson, Wyoming she was a docent at the National Wildlife Art Museum for twenty years. She also volunteered at JH Therapeutic Riding. She was an election judge for years always looking forward to seeing friends on election day. Martha was head of the local support committee for A Christian Ministry in the National Parks.
Martha was a wonderful entertainer and an unflappable chef. Her lasagna was famous. She always had one in the freezer ready to pull out on a moment's notice if she had to feed one or twenty.
Martha was a wonderful wife and companion. She was loyal, faithful and 100% reliable. Martha always made sure she gave more that 50% to any relationship. She and her husband Warren had a warm and wonderful marriage of 63 years. They made a great team and loved to work on building their family into a loving functional unit. Martha ran the family foundation and the family limited partnership.
Most of all, Martha was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. She loved attending the Presbyterian Church in Jackson Hole where she participated in the Women's Tuesday Bible class for years. Martha is an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. Martha told her husband within an hour of her dying that she "had no fear of dying" She believed and held close to her heart the teachings and promises of Jesus Christ regarding living in this life and in the life to come. Promises that we can all take close to our hearts.
Martha was a truly unique and special person. A celebration of her life will be held at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole on Saturday, October 29, 2022, at 2:30 in the afternoon. The service will be live streamed on U Tube. To view: Go to U Tube. Then to: PCJH Jackson Wyoming
Martha will be buried in the family plot on Snow King Mountain.
Celebration of Life
Saturday, October 29, 2022
2:30 - 3:30pm (Mountain time)
Presbyterian Church
of Jackson Hole
1251 S Park Loop Rd,
Jackson, WY 83001
The service will be live streamed. Please call the Presbyterian Church for more information. 307-734-0388
"
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Rest-in-Peace✝️❤️🙏: Martha VanGenderen (died October 2022, Jackson Hole WY).
Rest-in-Peace & #Condolences ✝️❤️🙏 : Martha VanGenderen (died October 2022, Jackson Hole WY). Oldest daughter of the late Leo Peters (founder of Butterball Farms) of Grand Rapids . She leaves behind her husband Warren & children Todd,Craig, Courtney,& Eric & sisters Linda,Diana, Barb, Sandra & many nephews, nieces etc as well as half-siblings Ani, Teri, & Mark, many of the above who were also both GR Christian High & Calvin College alumni. Her funeral will be at the Presbyterian Church in Jackson WY. ❤️✝️🙏
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Monday, June 27, 2022
Peters Family Not Always in Agreement with One Another : a grandson refutes his grandfather Leo Peters in Chimes 1989
 |
Peters Family Not Always in Agreement with One Another :
a grandson refutes his grandfather Leo Peters in Chimes 1989
(Phil Kok is the son of Jim & Linda Kok. Linda was one of Leo Peters six daughters from his first marriage. Linda married Jim Kok, a Calvin College basketball star in the 50's who later became a CRC pastor. Linda attended GR Christian High. Jim attended Holland Christian, although he also lived in Bellflower CA during his elementary school years, being the son of a CRC pastor as well). Leo Peters also had 3 children from his 2nd marriage, after his 1st wife Helen died at a young age.
The children of Jim & Linda also grew up mostly in Grand Rapids & 3 of the 4 attended GRCH at the same time that the children of Leo Peters 2nd marriage were there also. Mark, Ani, & Teri were the 3 kids from Leo's 2nd marriage.
After GRCH all 4 of Jim & Linda's kids went on to Calvin College and Phil was there at the time that his grandfather Leo Peters began his attack on Calvin College and Howard Van Til re the book "The 4th Day" that questioned the timeline of the Biblical creation story ..
Around this time Phil penned this short letter to the Chimes .
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Thursday, June 23, 2022
a few burial site photos from Peters family members (and some of those who Peters kids married) (Mills, Peters, Kok, more to come )
Wellsville New York
Grand Rapids MI
also see Nancy Peters ,
also see Helen Mills (no photo)
Grand Rapids MI
(1st wife of Gareth)
Holland MI
Holland MI
also see Ruth Kok
re death of Leo Peters founder of Butterball Farms (1908 - 1955) buried at Woodlawn Cemetery Grand Rapids MI
re death of Leo Peters founder of Butterball Farms (1908 - 1955) buried at Woodlawn Cemetery Grand Rapids MI
see
Age 86
Wife 1 - Helen Mills
Wife 2 - Nancy Peters
The name Butterball was originally registered as trademark #378,438 on June 11, 1940, by Ada Walker of Wyoming, Ohio. Leo Peters purchased the trademark in February 1951. Leo Peters licensed the name to Swift and Co. for 10 years before selling it in the 60's. Peters sold the name "Butterball" to Swift, which was acquired by ConAgra in 1990.
Leo Peters retained rights to use the name Butterball Farms for his butter products[5] and the company operates today as Butterball Farms, Inc., producing and marketing shaped butter products.[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterball
1910 Holland, MI
Abram Peters 32
Aggie Peters 33
Frances J Peters 7
Arthur J Peters 8
Theodore Peters 7
Joseph Peters 6
Abram Peters Jr. 4
Leo Peters 1
[1 6/12]
John Bosehreter 63
1920 Holland, MI
Abraham Peters 41
Agnes Peters 43
Frances M Peters 19
Arthur Peters 18
Theodore Peters 17
Joe Peters 15
Abe Peters 14
Leo Peters 11
Anna Peters 8
Eugene Peters 6
1940 Chicago, IL
Leo Peters 31
Helen Peters 28
Martha R Mills 58
Jean Mills 22
Martha Peters 2
Linda Peters 2/12
Mr. Leo Peters, aged 86, of Grand Rapids, passed away Wednesday morning, July 19, 1995 at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center.
Surviving are his wife, Nancy; his children
1. Martha and Warren Van Genderen of Jackson, Wyoming,
2. Linda and Jim Kok of Bellflower, CA,
3. Diana and Duncan MacQuarrie of Tacoma, WA,
4. Brenda Peters of Kankakee, IL,
5. Barbara and Lane Dorcy of Olympia, WA,
6. Sandra and Mark Spee of Olympia, WA,
7. Mark Peters of Grand Rapids,
8. Andrea and Adam Blickley of Grand Rapids,
9. Theresa and Glenn Mandeville of Terre Haute, IN;
15 grandchildren; two great grandchildren; one brother John and Christine Peters of Ft Meyers, FL; several brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 29, 1995 at 11:00 at LaGrave Ave. Christian Reformed Church, with Dr. Carl F.H. Henry officiating. Private interment Woodlawn Cemtery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Henry Beets Mission Society of LaGrave Ave. Christian Reformed Church.
Published Grand Rapids Press 20 Jul 1995
--
" If u declare with your mouth,
"Jesus is Lord," & believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead,
u will be saved."
Romans 10.9
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