The Four Sons of Walter and Marie Petelle.

Walter Bernard (1915-1990).

Walter was the first son of Walter Joseph Petelle and Marie Hansen Petelle. He was born Dec. 19, 1915, at 2301 North Monticello Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were living upstairs in his grandparents, Samuel and Christine Hansen's, home. Walter's brother, Robert, was born in the same house in 1919.

A letter was received from Judy Petelle Hughes, a cousin in the Charles Francis Petelle line, dated October 19, 1993. Judy noted that her father, Paul Henry, told her that he and Walter Bernard had often been called "the twins" when they were little because they looked so much alike.

In 1923, Walter's brother Edward was born. They were still living on Monticello when his grandfather, Samuel Hansen, died in 1925.

In 1927, the family moved to a new home at 5544 Hutchinson Avenue. Grandmother, Christine lived with them. In 1929, his brother Donald was born at Illinois Masonic Hospital. The next year, on December 23, Christine Hansen died at their home.

In 1932, the entire family joined Uncle Tony and his family and moved back to the Hansen family house on Monticello. The Depression had caused Walter J. to close his Hupmobile business and this living arrangement helped everyone.

In 1935, Walter's paternal grandmother, Lulu Petelle, died. She was living with his aunt and uncle in LaPorte, Indiana at the time. She was buried in Montrose Cemetery, the same cemetery where Samuel and Christine were buried.

Walter (Wally) Bernard married Freida (Babe) Hudetz on April 28, 1937. For a time after they were married, Walter and Babe lived above the garage behind the house on Monticello. In 1939, their first son was born.

Walter and his brother, Bob joined the Illinois National Guard. They were activated for a short time in 1940, and while they were gone, Walter's grandfather, Joseph died.

Both boys were discharged in December of that same year. When the war finally broke out, Wally joined the Marines. He was trained as a radio gunner in Jacksonville, Florida. Walter was transferred overseas in 1944.

While stationed in Hawaii, on January 2, 1945, Walter received word that he had a new son. Babe was living with her aunt and uncle, Nanno and Chris Bach in Niles, Michigan when the baby was born.

Walter and Babe moved to Bridgman, Michigan, where Babe's parents, Margaret and Jacob Hudetz, lived. At first they lived with Margaret and Jacob. Then they moved into a rented house until their new home on School Street was built. While living in Bridgman, Walter worked for Whirlpool in Benton Harbor as an electrician.

In 1952, the family was back in the Chicago area where Walter went to work for his father. Walter Joseph was opening his own Mercury dealership, Petelle Motors, on Grand Avenue in Elmwood Park. At first, the dealership was housed in a leased showroom and garage in Oak Park. Walter served the company as Vice President and Used Car Sales Manager.

The couple bought a house in Arlington Heights, a northern suburb of Chicago. While living in Arlington, a daughter was born in Elgin, Illinois, in 1952. Another son followed, born in 1954, in Parkridge.

When Walter J. retired in 1955, Walter B. went into partnership with his brother Donald and a gentleman named Wallman. However, the family decided to follow brother Bob to Florida. They moved south to Largo, Florida, in August of 1956. Walter went to work for Bob at Suncoast Construction Company. He got his real estate license and sold real estate for a while. He also had a battery sales route in the Clearwater/Largo area.

In the early 60's probably late 1963, Walter moved the family to Cocoa Beach, Florida on the East coast. He went to work for the City of Cocoa Beach Road Department.

He later went to work for Trans World Airlines who had the maintenance contract for the entire Space Center complex. Walter painted and did general maintenance with TWA.

Walter and Babe remained in Cocoa until 1972, when they moved to Arkansas to live near their daughter and her family. For several years, perhaps five, Walter worked for Levi Strauss as a general maintenance man and night watchman. Her retired sometime around 1980.

Walter had several medical problems and in 1985 he began to have symptoms directly related to an esophageal ulceration condition. He was unable to eat, which eventually lowered his resistance and general health. He suffered a severe shoulder fracture which never healed properly, after which he barely move his arm.

For a time, Walter was in a nursing home. However, he suffered a heart attack and, on May 9, 1990, Walter died at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. Walter was buried in a small cemetery Oak Grove, north of Morrilton.

Babe died two years later, in 1992 of Emphysema, in the same hospital where Walter died. She is buried next to Walter in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Extracted with permission from Petelle A Family Genealogy, composed by Lynne Lorraine Petelle Johannes and Jan Johannes. November 1993, The Four Sons of Walter and Marie Petelle, page 52