Peter B. Wilson, 78
Bonners Ferry Herald
Novemebr 26, 2003
Remembering Pete
By BRIAN TRIPLETT
Staff writer
A man who was often
thought of as Mr. Bonners
Ferry will be fondly remembered
by everyone who knew
him.
I knew Pete Wilson by reputation
long before I ever met
him. Bonners Ferry Mayor
Darrell Kerby always spoke
highly of Pete's contributions
to the community over the
years.
On the way back to town
from one of the tours of the
Myrtle Creek burn area I was
allowed to tag along for, Mayor
Kerby started talking about
Wilson's years as city attorney
for Bonners Ferry.
"We were going through
some old paperwork, and it
seemed like Pete's name was
on every document," Kerby
said. "He did a lot for this community,
and even after he wasn't
the city's attorney any
more, he still gave us a lot of
valuable advice for many
years."
The only time I ever spoke
with Pete Wilson was when I
interviewed him for the article
about his experiences as a soldier during World War II that
ran in the HERALD on Nov. 6.
At the time, I didn't realize I
would have the strange honor
of being the last reporter to
talk to him. I was mostly just
afraid of saying the wrong
thing unintentionally, and
frankly, more than a little bit
intimidated by Mr. Wilson.
Wilson asked me about
myself, in that Bonners Ferry
way that I'm still not completely
used to, where the person
you're talking to is genuinely
interested in what you tell
them.
When I admitted to being
from Spokane, he said "So you
decided to come to be part of
the good life up here?"
Pete's failing health was
obvious, but there was a gleam
in his eye that made him seem
like he could still give me a
sound thrashing if he decided I
deserved one.
As Pete sat on a bench outside
Boundary Abstract smoking
a smelly cigar he asked me
to not tell his wife about, I
began to see why so many people
thought so highly of him.
The interview didn't seem
to be going very well at first.
My knowlege of modern warfare
comes almost exclusively
from movies such as "Saving
Private Ryan" and "Platoon."
I had no idea what was
appropriate to ask, and I didn't
want to sound like a complete
idiot.
If my college buddy Steve
Barry, who used to be an
Army Ranger, hadn't talked
constantly about ROTC training
exercises for most of the
first year I knew him, I would
have been thoroughly confused
by Pete's funny and vivid
stories about his combat experiences
in France and
Germany.
The seemingly random
strands of his engrossing narrative
started building a picture
of the horrors of war,
character during times of trial,
and the humorous ways
American G.I.s often found to
keep their sanity in a nightmarish
situation.
Pete shared a story about
his corrupting influence on
some tank crews during one
battle.
"We came across a place
where the SS guys must have
been staying and found a
bunch of wine," he said. "The
tanks were going to take the
lead. We started tossing bottles
of wine to them.
"It gets pretty hot inside a
tank and those guys got drunk
pretty fast. They were weaving
around so much that the
Germans couldn't hit them."
Despite all the drunk driving,
the U.S. efforts were a
smashing success.
"We only had one casualty,"
Wilson said. "A tank had run
over one of our jeeps and flattened
it."
I wasn't sure before I talked
to him if I was going to have
enough material to craft an
article that would adequately
portray Pete's character and
experiences, but Pete was so
gracious that he gave me more
information than I could possibly
ever use.
The time spent with him
was definitely worth smelling
like his cigar.
History came to life as he
admitted that, "at the time, I
didn't have much use for
Roosevelt. I was a deep-seated
Republican."
For a brief moment, I was
able to see Roosevelt as an
average person from that generation
might have seen him.
It is easy to forget that FDR
had his detractors and that the
man was a lot more flawed and
complicated in real life than
how he is generally portrayed
in the movies.
The deft way that Pete was
able to shift my perspective
without even seeming to do
anything more than sit on a
bench and try to remember
old war stories gave me some
idea of what Pete was really
like.He was a skilled teacher
with a precise way of speaking
and a subtle wit. He was a true
gentleman, and there was no
trace of arrogance in him
despite all the impressive
things he accomplished over
the course of his life.
Pete's love for his family
and for Bonners Ferry came
through loud and clear during
the time I talked with him even
though he seemed more interested
in knowing more about
me than talking about himself.
I'm grateful that I got a
chance to meet Pete before he
passed away. It helped me
appreciate just how much he
meant to his family, friends
and the people of Bonners
Ferry.
Time spent with Pete was a
blessing. I am thankful that so
many people got to share parts
of their lives with the truly
remarkable man.
I would like to extend my
condolences to the Wilson
family and all of Pete's friends
and neighbors.
Peter B. Wilson, 78
Peter B. Wilson was born
May 21,1925 in Bonners Ferry,
Idaho. He attended the local
schools, graduating in 1943. He
then joined the U.S. Army,
serving in Europe during
WWII. On being discharged,
he attended the University oi
Idaho, graduating with a BA
in 1950 and a LLB in 1951.
On returning to Boundary
County, he served as
Prosecutor, City Attorney,
Moyie Springs City Attorney,
President of the Chamber of
Commerce and of the North
Idaho Chamber. He served on
the Boundary Community
Hospital Board, the Fry
Foundation, was a Shriner and
belonged to the Lions Club. He
was also a member of the
Republican party and St.
Mary's Episcopal Church.
He is survived by his wife,
Rhoda; three sons, Duff, Tim
and Neal; Duff's wife, Kay;
Kip's wife, Trinka; 15 grandchildren,
three great-grandchildren,
and his sister, Helen
Roberts and family.
