John Palmer Dieter was born on April 20,1915 in Abilene, Kansas, the son of Dr. Johann N. and Sierra Nevada Palmer Dieter. John graduated from Abilene High School in 1932, and attended Kemper Military School at Booneville, Missouri from 1932-1933. He then attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas and graduated with honors and an AB degree in 1936 with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Economics. He then went to Yale University Law School in New Haven, Connecticut; graduating in 1939. He was associated with Shrader, Haas, and Washington of Kansas City, Missouri from 1939 to 1941. John married Mary Ruth Shuler on July 8, 1950 in Abilene, Kansas. They had no children. John served in the U.S. Army from February 1941 to January 1946. He started his military career at Fort Riley, Kansas by attending the Cavalry School, 7th Officers Candidate Course Mechanized. He was then re-assigned to the Third Army overseas under the command of General George Patton in the Combat Intelligence Section. He served in Central Europe, Northern France, Normandy, the Rhineland and the Ardennes with five campaign ribbons. Dieter was a charter member of the Battle of Normandy Museum in Caen, France. He was the Commanding Officer for the Abilene National Guard Division from May 1948-1949. His military papers are part of the many collections on file at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas. John was Probate, County and Juvenile Judge in Dickinson County from August, 1948 until January 1965. He was Municipal Judge of the City of Abilene from 1968 to 1981; Municipal Judge of the City of Chapman from 1971-1990; and Municipal Judge of the City of Solomon from 1969-1972. All together, John had a total of more than 50 years serving as judge for Dickinson County. John was in private practice as a lawyer for several years also. John served as president and member of the Board of Directors of the Memorial Hospital from 1951-1953, and was a past president of the Dickinson County Bar Association. He was a lifetime member of the American Legion, and a member of the VFW. John passed away in Abilene, Kansas on April 21, 1999 at the age of 84 years and one day.