The Four Sons of Walter and Marie Petelle.


Don

Donald Russell (1929-2020).

Donald Russell Petelle was the fourth son of Walter Joseph Petelle and Marie Hansen Petelle. He was born at Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago on February 26, 1929. His family, including brothers Wally, Bob and Edward, was living at 5544 Hutchinson Avenue in the Portage Park area.

Before Don was born, in 1925, his maternal grandfather, Samuel Soren Hansen had died. His grandmother, Christina Hansen lived with the family on Hutchinson. She died in December of 1930. Both were buried at Montrose Cemetery.

In 1932 or 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression, Don’s father, Walter, lost his Hupmobile business, Petelle Motors. The family moved to the Hansen family home at 2301 North Monticello Avenue. It had been rented out for several years.

Walter, Marie and the boys moved into the upstairs portion of the house. Uncle Tony Hansen, Aunt Margaret and their daughters, Betty and Sis, lived downstairs. Don remembers the wonderful Christmas parties that were held upstairs on Christmas Eve and downstairs on Christmas Day.

In 1935, his paternal grandmother, Lulu Petelle died and was buried in Montrose Cemetery. In 1940, his paternal grandfather, Joseph Petelle died and he was also buried at Montrose.

Don fondly remembers the dogs that brother Wally brought home. The first was a Chow and he was promptly out of the family when he ate their Sunday dinner. The next dog, Rex, was a beautiful, black Belgian Police Dog. He was part wolf. For twelve years he was Don’s companion and protector. When the folks would go out, Don would brag that he and Rex would be fine, alone, together. Once they left, Don and Rex would retreat under the dining table and huddle there until they returned.

In 1939, the family moved to 4444 North Long. They lived there only a year before moving to a bungalow at 5510 Pensacola. Walter J. had to sell Marie’s new, brown Ford to make the down payment.

In 1942, his father decided to build a new home in Elmwood Park. While it was being completed they had to rent a “messy place” on George Street. Don recalls they could move in only after everyone exerted considerable elbow grease.

The new house was at 1833 North 73rd Court, and Don has fond memories of that house. Brother Bob’s wife, Lorraine, lived with them during the war. Brother Ed’s wife, Dorothy was often visiting. Don loved to harass the two wives. Once, he remembers upsetting Dorothy so badly that she chased him upstairs and dumped him into the tub. Another time, Lorraine’s devil’s food cake flopped in the middle and Don teased her to tears.

Once when Wally came home on furlough, Don had just received a new pair of boxing gloves. Don remembers sparring with Wally in the vacant lot next to the house. They punched away and Don can remember Marie hollering for them to stop from inside the house. She proceeded to come out and delivered more punches to Don than Wally did, as she tried to get Wally to stop picking on his little brother.

After the war, Bob was working with Walter J. at Stallworth Motors, and Ed was working at Illinois Bell Telephone Company. Walter and his family had moved to Bridgman, Michigan, where he was working for Whirlpool.

Don missed his brothers. In fact, her received permission to attend Lane Tech to complete high school, just to follow the tradition of his brothers. In 1946, Donald graduated and attended one semester and summer school at Wright Junior College.

The family was now living at 1854 New England, not far from the house on 73rd.

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Don was active in the Masonic youth group, Boy Builders. When he became a Deputy, he installed Carlee Rose Pochert as the Honored Queen in Job’s Daughter, the young women’s Masonic group. It was truly love at first sight.

The two young people attended different Lutheran churches, Our Savior’s and Belmont Park. Soon, Don was regularly attending both. At Belmont, Carlee’s pastor, Alden Salstrom, arranged for Don to attend Carthage College with Carlee. Carthage was a Lutheran College in Carthage, Illinois. In 1946, they were off to college together.

Don graduated in 1950 and went to work for Hill-Behan Lumber Company as an accounts receivable clerk. Carlee was working for G. D. Searle as a histologist.

Donald Russell Petelle married Carlee Rose Pochert on August 13, 1950 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church by Alden Salstrom and Don’s pastor, Jesse Thorsen.

They moved into a garage apartment with another young married couple. It was on Maple wood, near the Congress Theater. Don was making $85.00 a week including overtime at Hill-Behan. Now that he was married he decided to ask for a raise. When he was refused, he quit. Don really needed a new job.

Don’s father, Walter and his brother, Bob, had been negotiating with Ford Motor Company to secure a Mercury franchise. They were successful and Don jumped at the opportunity to join in the family business. It was Walter’s dream that all of his boys would work together.

The 1951 Mercurys were due out in just a few weeks. Walter J. found an empty garage and showroom in Oak Park and the entire family pitched in to get it ready to open. They hired their first employee, Chester Smith, as their parts department manager.

Ford Motor Company couldn’t get new cars to them in time so, they borrowed a few from Gany Lincoln Mercury and opened on time for the first showing.

Walter J., in the meantime, negotiated the purchase of a site 100’ x 112’ at 6954 West Grand Avenue near the Elmwood Park section of Chicago. A 10,000 square foot building was completed by the summer of 1951.

Walter J. was the Chairman of the Board of Petelle Mercury, Inc. Bob was the President and General Manager, Wally, who had returned from Bridgman, was Vice President and Manager of Used Car Sales, and Don was the Business Office Manager/Bookkeeper and doubled as a Salesman.

Don and Carlee move to 704 Lynden Land in the Scarsdale Section of Arlington Heights, Illinois in 1951. On December 21 of the same year, a daughter was born. On February 3, 1953, a brother joined the family.

In 1954, Bob decided to move to Florida. Don was just returning from a Ford Merchandising Conference. At twenty-six years of  age he assumed the position of General Manager.

Walter J. retired on December 31, 1955 and Don and Wally went into partnership with Hank Wallman. They expanded the size of the business when they took over an additional building and 125 more feet of frontage on Grand Avenue.

However, by 1956 business finances were very tight and when Wally left, to follow Bob to Florida, the company paid him what cash they could and gave him two automobiles. Hank and Don continued to operate until 1958 when they sold out to Milton Duhlberger. He lasted only one year and sold to Dino Moroni. Walter J. retained ownership in the building and the name PETELLE remained etched in the concrete block at the front corner.

The family was growing, even if business had not. On July 13, 1957, another son was born. In 1958, the family needed a bigger house. They moved to 806 Elm Street in Mt. Prospect, just a few miles down the road.

The next additions were Grandma and Grandpa Petelle. Walter and Marie had decided to follow the rest of the family to Florida, which now included Don’s brother Ed. Until their home was ready in Florida, they moved in with Don and Carlee and the children.

During the mid-50’s, Don was active in Montclare Lions Club, serving as its president. Don and Carlee attended the Lutheran Church in Arlington and they were members of the largest dance club in the suburbs, known as the “Quadrilles.”

On May 5, 1959, Don and Carlee’s last child, a son, was born. The house at 806 Elm was a big, sprawling tri-level and was a wonderful place for a growing family to build their memories.

After selling the dealership, Don attempted to sell fire and money safes for six months. That did not lead to a career.

Don then joined Mutual of New York as an insurance agent. In six months, he was appointed as Brokerage Supervisor and within two years he was an Assistant Manager. His career with Mutual lasted five years.

With a family of six, Don found it necessary to add a part-time job and went to work as a Renault salesman for a friend. Don only meant for this to be temporary but, it proved disastrous to his insurance sales career. Fortunately, while with Renault he earned his keep. He brought the dealership to 15th in sales in the nation.

In April of 1965, Don joined B. J. Felbinger and Company as an Industrial Real Estate Salesman. In March of 1971, Don was named Vice President in charge of the industrial and commercial development department.

In April of 1978, Don decided to form Petelle Industrial Real Estate. The venture proved to be extremely satisfying and started a very productive period. Don’s company has sold, leased and developed industrial properties with sales ranging from three to over five million dollars a year.

Once the four children were raised and Carlee had some time to work outside their home, she went back to school, worked with Don in the office once he started his own company, and in her spare time, developed her own business as a Mary Kay representative.

In 1971, Don’s mother, Marie Hansen Petelle, died in Clearwater, Florida. She was buried at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Safety Harbor, Florida. His father, Walter, lived with his brothers, Ed and Bob, and visited Don and Wally as much as possible.

In 1981, Don’s father, Walter Joseph Petelle, died in Florida. He was buried next to Marie at Sylvan Abbey.

Don and Carlee continued to live at 806 Elm until 1985 when they decided to move just up the street to 917 Elm and a smaller, ranch-style house.

Don’s brother, Wally died in 1990 in Arkansas. His brother, Bob, died in 1991 in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1992, Carlee no longer works at Don’s office, but is semi-retired, continuing with Mary Kay. Don has no plans to retire soon. However, they did decide to retire from a big home with a big lawn and shoveling snow. Don and Carlee left Mt. Prospect and moved to a ranch townhome at 1529 Shire Circle in Inverness, Illinois where they continue to live.

NOTE: Don passed away at the age of 91 on April 11, 2020.

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 62