Peter Jan Faatz

Peter Jan Faatz, April 20, 1942 – September 12, 2018.

He is preceded in death by his parents Jan and Clara Faatz (laid to rest in Bakersfield, CA)
and his sister Ruby Faatz (laid to rest in Sterling, CO)

He is survived by his wife, Linda, 3 sons, Michael, Matthew & Christopher, daughter, Angela, 2 grandsons, Stephen & his brother Anikan, 3 granddaughters Skylar, Fauna & Crystal and ½ older brother Rudy Rambelja, as well as his beloved dog SweetiePie.

Born Bandung, W Java, Indonesia as a Dutch national in 1942 he and his family survived Japanese internment camps for about 3 years but lost their land after Indonesian independence and left for the Netherlands in 1949.
Upon obtaining US sponsorship from the Sterling Colorado First Christian Church they immigrated to sterling CO. They sailed on a trans-Atlantic steamship stopping first in Halifax Canada before reaching NYC. From there they took passenger train service from NYC via Chicago to Sterling, CO.
There he graduated from Sterling HS in 1961 and soon after married his HS sweetheart Linda Horne. Shortly thereafter he enlisted into the US Army in 1963 and was sent to basic training at Ft Polk, LA, then advanced training at Ft Sill, OK and finally to his first duty station Ft Riley KS. His wife, Linda,
joined him moving to Junction City, KS (next to Ft Riley) where his 1st son was born. Not long after he received orders to ship to the Korean peninsula DMZ for 13 months and ultimately was ordered to Lai Khe, Vietnam area to serve as an Artillery Forward Observer and Surveyor. His unit there was the 1st Infantry Division (the BigRedOne), 33rd Artillery Reg, 2nd Battalion ).  He served with distinction and was awarded the Good Conduct medal and the Vietnam Service medal.  After his enlistment ended they moved to Denver, CO where his 2nd and 3rd sons were born. In Denver he graduated from Regis University in 1972 with a Bachelors degree in Accounting & Finance while still working to support his family. In the Summer of 1974 after getting hired by Petroma-Trend (now defunct) he moved the family to Jakarta, Indonesia for 2 years. In 1976 he moved the family back to the states via Denver, CO to Gillette, WY for 3 years working at the Thunder Basin Coal Mine for Atlantic Richfield Co as a senior staff accountant. In 1977 his 4th child, a daughter, was born in Gillette, WY. From there they all moved to Bakersfield, CA in 1979 where he worked for Occidental Oil and where his 1st two sons graduated from HS.  It was in Bakersfield that his wife believes he was at his happiest and was the last time his family all lived together. Even his parents had moved to California to be near him. In 1987 the rest of the family moved to Lancaster and then to Ridgecrest, CA in 1988 staying there for 13 years until 2001.
Ridgecrest was the last city the whole family would reunite for Christmas which was 1991. His wife also fondly remembers that Ridgecrest was the last place that her and Pete went on a date to a regular movie theater in the summer of 1994 to see the movie Forest Gump. They loved it.

Eventually he and his wife, then in their early 60's settled in Elk City, OK via Yukon OK for most of the remainder of his life.
In his retirement he did what he enjoyed most which was gardening and landscaping his yard and even created an English tea garden style Alcove in one corner of his yard. He also always had a 'soft-spot' for animals and there always was at least one if not two or more dogs in the Faatz household at any given time throughout his life. He enjoyed watching movies with his wife and family and had a colorful (as well as often 'off-color') sense of humor. He was fluently tri-lingual in English, Dutch and Indonesian as well as speaking a little French and German.  He valued education, life-long learning and read prolifically.

Despite his Alzheimer's condition he retained most of his cognitive abilities, mental faculties and memory until around early 2016. During the last 3 years of his life he also and got to enjoy the company of his sons, daughter and granddaughter living with him and his wife periodically at different times. .

He was the best provider our or any family could have ever hoped for despite his faults, flaws & frailties that we all have as human beings. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
I remember you, Dad, as all of us remember the unique and great man you were and are.

Graveside services will be held on Friday, September 27, 2019 at 2:00 PM at Fort Sill National Cemetery in Elgin, Oklahoma with military honors provided by the US Army Honor Guard.

Services are under the direction of OK Cremation and Funeral Home, Oklahoma City.