Anastasia "Tessie" (Roussakos) Peters

Anastasia “Tessie” (Roussakos) Peters was born March 2nd, 1944, in Sparta (Gorani, Lakonias), Greece. She always said her true birthday was February 19th, but her father didn’t report her birth until the 2nd of March, so that is the date on all her official documents. Apparently, she may have just been trying to get two birthday parties every year!

Her parents were Ionnis (John) and Evagelia (Rigakos) Roussakos. Tessie was the youngest of seven children, with four brothers and two sisters, Georgios (George), Dimitrios (Jimmy), Nikolaos (Nick), Panagiota (Pota) Alexandros (Aleck), and Emilia (Litsa).

The family lived in Gorani until Tessie was 10 years old, at which time they moved to Piraeus, Greece. She attended school there from 1954 to1955, then went to school in Athens (Glyfada) from 1955 to 1956. They lived in Athens until Tessie turned 18 in 1962. She then traveled at least twice with her brother, Aleck, to Canada, to work. She worked in Edmonton, Alberta and Kitimat, British Columbia between 1962 and 1965. She worked at several different jobs, including a dry cleaner/laundry and a local bakery.

Returning to Greece, Tessie went to Hairdressing/Cosmetology school from January through October 1966 and completed her certification in November 1966, earning an "Excellent" grade.

Also in November of 1966, Tessie asked a friend to introduce her to Jack Peters, who was stationed on the Air Force base in Athens. They dated off and on, fell in love, and then got married April 14th,1969 in a Greek Orthodox church (Kimissis Tis Theotokou) in Glyfada. Arrangements for the wedding took some time as there were several clearances and plenty of paperwork to complete through the military for a serviceman to marry a “foreigner.”

They became an Air Force family and lived in Athens on the Air Force base until 1970. While there, their first daughter, Zelphie, was born in 1969. They transferred to Dover, Delaware in September of 1970, where their second child, a son, Mitch, was born in December of that year. During their time in Dover, Tessie proudly became a Naturalized American Citizen in 1972. They lived in Dover until 1973, then transferred back to Athens until 1975, when they made one last transfer, this time to Mountain Home, Idaho, where their third child, another daughter, Nicole, was born in 1977. Jack retired from the Air Force after 26 years of service in 1978.

They liked it out west, and Tessie especially liked the openness of the land. They found a small farm for sale in Nyssa, Oregon, where they settled in for the next 37 years while they raised their children and grandchildren, and built onto and improved their home.

Tessie worked at several places over the years in Nyssa, including the “Sugar Bowl” bowling alley, the Nyssa Hospital, the Schools (Elementary, Cafeteria, and Primary), M&W Market in the Deli, the Amalgamated Sugar Co. and Bud's C-Store.

She was an avid bowler and enjoyed participating in Women's bowling league tournaments, where she bowled very well (consistently well over 200), earning lots of pins, badges, patches and prizes.

Tessie and Jack’s three children all married and had children of their own, whom Tessie showered with love—Jacquelin, Miranda, Colton, Hannah, Cyanne, Weston, Emily and Tessa. She had three great-grandchildren, Felix, Faye and Scarlet. After her beloved husband, Jack, passed away in 2015, Tessie moved to New Plymouth to live with Nicole and her family. They spoiled her and doted on her, so she happily stayed with them for almost 11 years, until passing away from complications of a stroke on August 13th, 2026, at the age of 82. Of her immediate family, Tessie is survived only by her brother, Aleck Rousakos, who still lives in Athens, Greece, with his family.

She is also survived by her three children, Zelphie (Ron) Winegar, Mitch Peters, and Nicole (Corey) Boren, along with grandchildren Jacqui (Michael) Millard, Colton Winegar, Weston Winegar, Tessa Winegar, Miranda Peters, Hannah Boren, Cyanne Boren, Emily Boren, and great-grandchildren, Felix and Faye Millard, and Scarlet Peters.

Tessie was a strong and determined woman, and a force to be reckoned with if anything got in her way. She could do anything she put her mind to, including learning to read and write English on her own. She will always be remembered and loved by all for her wonderful smile, laughter, pinches, hugs and kisses. She always believed, and frequently expressed, that her children were perfect and she was always gracious and kind to them and everyone around them. We will all miss her and are grateful for our time spent with her. A private graveside was held at Hilltop Cemetery, Nyssa, Oregon.  Condolences maybe left for family at www.bowmanfuneral.com