I wasn’t much of a student but the one and only teacher that has always stood out in my memories has been Ms Pety. It has been very rewarding for me in pulling together many of those old memories and stumbling on people that have meant so much to all of us in growing up. Teachers! In particular do not get enough credit for having molded many of us into the type of person we have become. I have to thank Ms. Pety in particular. She has kindly sent in a few pictures to bring us up to date and hopefully she will also send in a few words that I can also post here as to what she has been doing since those special years, the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
She is also working with me on yearbooks and other memorabilia from our school days and promises to donate what she can. She thinks she has a couple of other year books from Crary but those may be hard to find. Tom Nickman would like us to scan one of those since his brother was a teacher there before he passed away with cancer.

So sorry to have to report that Ms Pety passed away May, 2005. As you all know she and I have been corresponding for years and it has been a pleasure to brighten her day now and again as she has mine. She will be missed. I am glad I got the opportunity to thank her many times for the donations of many of the yearbooks she had and thanks to her daughters for packaging them up and sending them. They have been a blessing to many that visit the web site.

Mike Dolliver Class of WKHS 1963

Mike Dolliver Class of 63

Dear all...Here is a picture of Max, non verbal autistic 14 yr. old, Denise the great mother in handling this, then there is Nana Lois, Last but not least we have Drew, 12 years old & active one in sports and Boy Scouts. . First time Max has smiled for a picture in a long time. Enjoy!!!!
Love you,
Lois

To all of Lois's, Mrs. Pety's, friends,
 
It saddens us to be writing this letter, but we wanted to make sure we let you know as soon as possible.  Lois died tonight at 7:45.  She had another stroke last Monday during her dialysis treatment and was in the hospital for the week. She returned to the Rehab center, but the pain got the best of her.  After dialysis this past Monday, you could see her energy was being challenged.  She fought the battle right up to the end.  Never backing down for a minute.  Please know how much she enjoyed every note and card everyone sent.  She was thrilled that she was getting so many messages and well wishes.  At this time we are uncertain of our memorial plans.  Her wish was to be donated to U of M or cremation.  We're thinking a Mass next week might be comforting. Once again, all your thoughts and prayers were greatly appreciated.  All of you made her day.  Thank you,  Denise and Luanne

Me and Ms Pety,
Ms Pety and I have been writing for a number of years, sometimes with a month or two where the weather was to cold or her computer broke down or she was just to tired to write but she would read the E-mails. One thing that she struggled with was that I would always call her Ms Pety, and she would insist that I call or Lois or something else anything else. She said we were now friends not pupil and teacher. We talked about many subjects going back to when Tom Nolan and I installed one of her fancy abstract rugs in her apartment.

She helped me by donating many of the yearbooks we were looking for from Waterford High school, the early days, to Kettering, and some from Mott, She was still looking for more that she had stored away when she got ill. With those year books she made it possible for many other students, to see there friends once again and I would send her a scanned picture along with an E-mail so she would try and recognize the student. She had so many students this was not an easy task. She sent several photos and always said she would send more but she had a rough time this past year, and when here computer crashed she was unable to keep up her e-mail so I would send out a hello now and again, and sometimes we would talk on the phone.

My wife made a Wheel Chair Back Pack for her and she didn’t figure out what it was right way, just a strange looking purse. she hadn’t figured out what it was until we spoke on the phone, I hope she got some use out of it.

For years and years and years, Ms Pety wanted me to call her anything but Ms Pety. Near the end in an E-mail the family noted where she called herself Piss and Vinegar, and they too felt she had the piss and vinegar to fight this battle and win. I sent an E-mail finally breaking down and calling her Mss Piss and Vinegar, and I know if they would have read the E-mail to her and told her who it was from, she would have a smile from ear to ear. She finally got her wish and I broke down and called her another name, one I knew she knew I was hoping and praying for her, and I was right there. Miss Piss and Vinegar, only a name she and I would understand and one she would get a kick out of.

She was an elegant lady and will always be in my memory. I apologize if the family members felt I was being disrespectful but I knew I only had one chance to get her wish across to her. She was a very special lady, and one I will deeply miss. I do hope she had a chance to read my e-mail, she would have had a big laugh.