My name is David and I am an adoptee searching for information about my birth parents and their backgrounds.

My birth parents are:

Bob Peters (Robert J. Peters), b. 10-23-1927 in Detroit, Michigan. My father was an orphan, and his parents were rumored to be John and Mary Peters. They may have perished in a fire*.

Phyllis J. Rowerdink- Peters, b. 2-9-1932 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Phyllis was adopted by Harmon and Doris Rowerdink.

Bob Peters initially was known as "Bob or Robert Plotrowski", or possibly "Robert or Bob Piotrowski" but eventually changed his last name to "Peters" . He was raised in an orphanage in the Detroit, Michigan area for an undetermined amount of time, presumably in the 1930's.

Phyllis Rowerdink was adopted at birth. Phyllis searched for and apparently found out about her birth mother. She told one friend that her mother was a young farm girl. The irony was she would have been thrilled to have been raised on a farm, as a love of animals was her main passion during the last years of her life.

Phyllis J. Rowerdink (center) with parents Harmon and Doris Rowerdink 1953

Bob met Phyllis in 1953 in the Detroit area of Michigan. Bob was in the hospital and Phyllis was his nurse. Phyllis was just finishing her nursing program and upon completion, Bob wanted to head out to the west coast. Phyllis' family felt Bob was much older and had misgivings about the two getting together, but offered Bob a job in their growing business. Bob declined. He wanted to leave Detroit as soon as possible. Family members thought he might be anxious to distance himself from his first wife*.

The time in Southern California is sketchy, but it would appear Phyllis got work at hospitals in the area, while it wasn't clear if Bob worked consistently. Phyllis' parents came out to visit at some point and from all accounts the visit seemed to go well. I was conceived late 1954 and was born in August of 1955. I was born in Seaside Hospital in Long Beach, California, and it's possible Phyllis worked there. The social worker's report indicates Bob was not working at the time the private adoption was arranged. Phyllis was quite conflicted and didn't want to put me up for adoption, but Bob was dead set against having a child around. According to the report he was either going to school or studying and felt a child would disrupt his studying time. The report also indicated Bob felt most things revolved around him and a child would be an annoyance.

The circumstances of the actual adoption were also a bit convoluted for the time. My adoptive parents received a call on the day I was born, but were told NOT to go to the hospital and ask for me by name (which I'm not sure if I was "Baby Peters" at that point or not), but to go to a designated nursing station, to simply state who they were and to have two pieces of identification. Once they did that, they were taken to a secured area where I could be seen. My adoptive parents also indicated Phyllis and Bob did not sign off on the final paperwork, and it wasn't until almost a year later that they finally signed off on the adoption.

Phyllis Peters in the first home she shared with Bob Peters, Southern California (1956?)

Phyllis' parents made another visit out to California some time after my birth. My birth was never disclosed to her parents or anyone in her family. It was reported that the visit did not go well and Bob was not pleased with them being there. At some point during the visit, Bob reportedly pulled a gun out and placed it on the table and proceeded to stare down Harm and Doris Rowerdink. They got the message and it was the last time Phyllis saw her father.

Between 1955 and 1965 things are a bit sketchy. It's presumed that Bob and Phyllis moved around quite a bit in the Southern California area (possibly San Bernardino was one location), and from all accounts, they had a hard time making ends meet. Phyllis called her parents on more than one occasion saying they were in trouble and requested money for an airline ticket home. Her parents always said they'd send a ticket, but not the money. The conversation would end there.

One incident though had Phyllis calling saying they were in a lot of trouble, and again requested money. Instead of sending money or a ticket, Harm and Doris contacted their local pastor, who in turn, contacted a pastor in the area Bob and Phyllis were currently living. He reportedly went there and was greeted with a gun in Bob's hand and told it was not his business.

What happened during this period is missing a lot of information, but Bob and Phyllis ended up in Billings, Montana in 1965. Phyllis J. Peters was listed in the phone book at that time and was also listed as being a nurse. No word on if Bob was working or what he might have been doing.

In 1966 Bob and Phyllis arrived in Deer Lodge, Montana . Phyllis worked at the local hospital, but it doesn't seem Bob was working right away. Around late 1966 to early 1967 Bob got a job at the Historical State Prison in Deer Lodge. Bob must have had some law enforcement credentials as he didn't start at the prison in an entry level. From all reports, Bob was a "whiz kid" who dazzled the top brass and rose quickly to become Captain of the Guard.

The Historic State Prison at Deer Lodge, Montana
Bob Peters worked there from 1967 until 1974

The former Toy Shop of the Montana State Prison which became housing for Prison Officials
Bob and Phyllis Peters lived here in the early 70's

People have indicated Bob was very guarded and didn't really open up with people, and socialized infrequently. One thing everyone agrees, is Bob seemed to be afraid of something, or running from something. Phyllis always felt he was running from something, but Bob never disclosed what.

At one point during Bob's tenure at the prison, a higher ranking official noticed Bob was very jumpy and decided to play a joke on him. He went up to Bob and leaned in and said "Bob I hate to be the one to tell you this, but there's a big black car out front with two guys in pin-stripe suits, dark shirts and white ties that want to talk to you." Apparently Bob started shaking and was visibly upset. After a few minutes they couldn't stop from laughing and informed Bob it was a joke. He was furious.

In retrospect, a lot of the people who knew about that have wondered if Bob was involved with with or witnessed something heavy in Detroit, Michigan.

Bob and Phyllis lived on State grounds while Bob was at the prison. During this time Bob always seemed worried that someone was out for him. He even asked one of the employees at the prison to guard him and Phyllis while they slept. That person just let the subject drop.

This was Bob Peter's Lieutenant Badge that he gave to a friend after he was promoted to
Captain of the Guard at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge.

Around 1972 or so Phyllis had a bad back injury while working at the hospital. She had surgery and was going through rehab to return to work when she was attacked by a patient. This resulted in a total disability for Phyllis as well as neck surgeries and a long and painful recovery period.

Bob and Phyllis Peters
Deer Lodge, Montana Christmas 1972
(note the neck brace and cane with Phyllis after one of her surgeries)

Around 1973 or so Bob was feeling "overlooked" by the top prison brass and apparently with a new warden in charge, there were certain political undertows to the promotion process in the prison. Bob wasn't pleased with this and apparently went over the heads of people at the prison and complained to the state. Needless to say, his superiors weren't happy and informed Bob it would be best if he left the prison.

At this point, Bob went to Joliet, Montana without Phyllis for a couple of months, which reportedly resulted in him getting an Assistant Deputy Sheriff's position. While in Joliet, Bob confided to a friend that he got involved with a situation that he wasn't sure how to get out of.

The house in Joliet, Montana that Bob Peters moved to from Deer Lodge, Montana
(1974 - 1976?)

Everyone familiar with Bob and Phyllis believe he got involved with a woman about 20 years younger than himself and a pregnancy resulted. Phyllis moved up to Joliet and was there until late 1974 or very early 1975. Phyllis recounted that one evening after she had taken a couple of pain pills and was drifting off to sleep Bob came home and saw her semiconscious and seized an opportunity and poured several sleeping pills down her throat. She woke up, realizing what had happened and was able to force herself to throw up. She called good friends in Deer lodge to come and get her and she left and filed for divorce.

She later commented that she and Bob were sued by a contractor and she wasn't looking forward to returning to Joliet for the trial to see Bob and his new wife and their daughter. Bob's daughter was thought to have been born in 1975.

(Bob) Robert J. Peters (Born Oct. 23, 1927)
(Photo Christmas 1972)

Bob Peters had a phone listing in Joliet, Montana until 1976. Most people familiar with Bob and Phyllis at this point, seem to have picked sides after the divorce and it seems most sided with Phyllis. Everyone I've talked to recall a shooting incident. The details vary and no one is quite sure if Bob shot someone or someone shot Bob. It was believed that Bob might have met the woman he became involved with while investigating a domestic disturbance, and the shooting incident "might" have involved the male who was part of the domestic disturbance. Bob eventually left law enforcement and was last reported living in Billings, Montana on 27th Street in 1983. His job might have been working for Pitney Bowes. What does seem to be apparent is when Bob left Montana in 1983 he left alone. There is also supposition that there was a second child from the union with the woman from Joliet. There is supposition that Bob married this woman, but there has been no evidence one way or the other.

Phyllis J. Rowerdink Peters Whitehead (Born Feb. 9, 1932 - Died September 5, 2005)
(Photo 1975)

Phyllis spent the next few years fighting for disability resulting from the back injuries and lived in various locations around Deer Lodge. On a camping trip in the late 70's she met William O. Whitehead. He was a rancher who at one point rode with Slim Pickens. Phyllis and Bill married in 1978 and lived around the city of Anaconda. The small house they lived in was found to be on contaminated ground and they were forced to move. They settled in with a small trailer out by Georgetown Lake in the late 90's. Bill passed away in 1997 and Phyllis was determined to stay out at Georgetown Lake. She cut her own firewood for heat and she left her trailer open so her many dogs, cats and goats could come in and get warm when the weather turned cold.

Even though Phyllis last heard from Bob in 1983 as he left Montana for Washington State, she always feared him and checked with social security once a year to see if he were still alive.

Phyllis Whitehead on the land she ranched at Georgetown Lake, Montana
(1990's)

Sadly, Phyllis died of a heart attack on Monday September 5, 2005. She was aware her health was going downhill and asked friends to call her daily to make sure she was ok. She was scheduled to have some medical procedures on her heart, but sadly, passed before she could do that. She wanted her ashes scattered where she spent the last years of her life, and from what most people have said, she was happy out at Georgetown Lake.

Phyllis Whitehead, Georgetown Lake, Montana 2004
This was probably the last photograph taken of Phyllis before she passed away September 5, 2005

600 Southern Cross Road, Georgetown Lake, Montana, 2007
This is where Phyllis Whitehead died in 2005.

You can see the small woodpile in front of the wood cabin that she had started to work on
for the coming winter to keep her and her animals warm.

If you know or knew my birth father: Bob Peters or Robert J. Peters, and have information or history about him or my birth mother: Phyllis J. Rowerdink, Phyllis Peters, Phyllis Whitehead, or of any children or relatives Bob might have, please contact me.

Thank you for reading this.
David