Eleanor Petty’s zest for life is infectious
E
leanor (Ziegler) Petty was born in 1919 on a farm in Sharon Township, between Ann Arbor and Jackson. She was the youngest of nine children: seven boys and two girls. The family attended a nearby Evangelical church, which many years later became the North Sharon Baptist Church. Some of Eleanor’s family is buried at the small church cemetery, including her parents and her husband, Mal.
Eleanor’s faith was nurtured by her family over the years. She remembers riding to church in a horse and buggy each Sunday, or in a horse-drawn sleigh during the winter. She remembers singing a solo for the Christmas program at age four – an early indication of her interest in music that has remained throughout her life. When she was ten, the family moved to Manchester, where she finished high school. As she was able, she studied piano through those school years.
Finances were difficult during the depression years, but with the help of two older brothers who were working, she was able to attend and graduate from Western Michigan University.
She took her first teaching job in Mason, Michigan, and there met her future husband Malcolm Petty. He was studying accounting at Eastern Michigan University at the time. For a time after their marriage, during World War 2, Eleanor and Mal both worked at the B-24 plane manufacturing plant at Willow Run.
Mal and Eleanor had two boys and a girl. Eleanor said that having children strengthened her faith, for, as parents teach, they also learn and cultivate their own faith.
After the children were in school, Eleanor earned a master’s degree in education and administration. She taught in Wayne, Michigan for seven years, and then for seventeen years was an elementary school principal in Wayne-Westland. She sang with their church choir, and traveled to Ann Arbor to sing with the University of Michigan Choral Union.
Upon retirement, Malcolm and Eleanor moved to Gaylord, Michigan, where they lived for nineteen years. They loved the beauty of the area and enjoyed golf and cross country skiing. They were active in the Methodist church there, and Eleanor sang with the choir. She became an avid downhill skier and joined a group of other women ski enthusiasts. Mal and Eleanor enjoyed traveling and visited Alaska, the Panama Canal, Europe, Africa, China and many areas in the United States. They were active in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, through which they helped out in schools and other organizations. Eleanor learned calligraphy, and attended several workshops in Birmingham, Michigan.
In 1998, when Mal’s health was declining, they moved to Ann Arbor to be near family. Mal died on October 23, 2000 with complications from Alzheimer’s disease. Eleanor now volunteers each week at the Alzheimer’s Association District Office and Hospice. She also helps out at Westminster, assembling the Sunday bulletins each week.
Eleanor continues to stay active, playing golf and traveling with her daughter. The two have visited Thailand, Egypt, Belgium and Holland. Her beautiful calligraphy has graced several church program covers. Though her singing days have ended, she enjoys listening to music and attending concerts. She loves to knit, and has made many baby hats for newborns at area hospitals. Her other interests include reading, exercising, Bible study and gardening.
Among Eleanor’s favorite Bible verses are Philippians
4:13, Psalm 21, and especially Psalm 23. Each verse in its own way has helped her through difficult times, such as illness, surgery or stress.
A recent family reunion with Eleanor and Mal’s three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren reminded Eleanor of how God has blessed her with a beautiful family, and how much she enjoys them. Last Christmas, each family member played an instrument in their own concert of Christmas music: a beautiful time together, and evidence that Eleanor’s love of music and enthusiasm for life has been passed on to the next generations.