Peggy Pettigrew

Kids: 1 son

Grand-Kids: granddaughter (1998)

2014 Reunion News: I can't believe that it has been 50 years. I graduated from WSU and married my ex-husband in 1968. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army and we moved to Georgia for his time in the Army. My first job was in Savannah, Georgia which is a beautiful old southern city. I worked in public aid and loved my time there. My ex went to Viet Nam and I stayed in Savannah. Then when he returned we were stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga. I continued working in public aide and there was a race riot while we were there and I had to be evacuated from my office.

Next it was on to Chicago and a job as a caseworker in child welfare. I worked there for 14 yrs and became a supervisor. I had a quick education in city living in the 70's. I could write a novel on this period of time. I became a foster mother to a 13 yr old boy in 1974 and he has been wonderful part of my life. I completed my master's degree in social work at Loyola University of Chicago in 1983.

In 1985 I left the child welfare job as the political involvement in the department became unbearable. I took a large pay cut and took a job as a child and family therapist in a mental health clinic in the northwest suburbs. I also had a private practice and worked on a crisis team-many stories from that experience. We went to the homes and did assessments. I had no fear in those days.

Next I took a job working in a psych in-patient adult unit and continued with a private practice.

In the late 80's I decided that growing old in a place with the winters of Chicago was not a good idea. My mother had moved back to her childhood home in South Carolina and her health was failing, so I decided that I would move to Atlanta, Ga. I was working for a corporate hospital and they had a hospital in Atlanta and I transferred to Atlanta to work on the child and adolescent inpatient unit. I worked there for a year and a half until they were in financial trouble and was laid off and then went to work at another hospital on the adult unit. This was interesting as this was the second psych hospital built in the southeast. The psychiatrist who started this hospital went to Europe to study with Freud. The grounds were wonderful and the main building was used in several movies. I worked there for a year and realized that they were also in financial trouble and left to work at Ridgeview Institute. In this hospital I worked as the social worker for the dissociative disorders program.

After 3 years I could see they were struggling financially and then I went on an interview for a managed company. I took the job with what eventually became Magellan Health and just retired from there after 18 years.

I remain close to Tim and his wife and daughter who is 16 and is involved in competitive cheer leading.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the reunion. BTW, the picture is of dinner aboard ship with eight participants from the Senior University Group on a Cruise I took on the Baltic Sea.

2004 Reunion News:

Past highlights: I have survived some major medical problems and am still kicking. I joined the corporate world and enjoy the benefits of working for a large company. I am active in the Needle Works Guild and won a second and third place ribbon for my needlepoint and samplers. I made a Nantucket purse on Cape Cod in the fall of 2003. I have also been spending a lot of time in Chicago visiting with my son and granddaughter. Unfortunately, I lost my best friend last year when he had a heart attack. This is the down side of getting older. I went to see Sue Storey several years ago and we went on a tour of Idaho and visited with Mary Gin Kennedy while she was in Moscow. Sue is about the only person I have kept up with in Idaho. I did go to the Olympics when they were in Atlanta, of course my tickets were for the morning after the bombing, so it was quite interesting. The psychiatrist I work with and I cracked a case of insurance fraud by using the computer to locate information, so maybe that will be my next career.

Future Plans: I will continue to work and plan to travel more. Spend more time with my cousins at the beach, one on Hilton Head and the others just north of Charleston, one with a beach house and one with a boat. Thank goodness they have done well and provide some places for me to vacation. We have formed a Red Hat Club and wear red hats and purple outfits and have an outrageous time. So I will continue hanging out in my red hat. My 85-yeaqr old aunt says that the 60's are the best years, so the best is yet to come. I will continue to work in water aerobics to try to get myself in shape. And of course spend time in Chicago with the kids. I have 2 cats and a dog who will continue to entertain me with their antics. I miss the northwest but looks like I will be staying in Georgia.

30 Year Reunion 1994

20 Year Reunion 1984

10 Year Reunion 1974