This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: TCMitten Surnames: Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.wisconsin.counties.shawano/17211/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Chicago Tribune (IL) - January 7, 1992 Deceased Name: Lake County educator William C. Petty, 93 A longtime educator and teacher, William C. Petty was the county school superintendent for Lake County for 40 years, a tenure which led to his position as the dean of the Illinois county superintendents of Schools. Mr. Petty, 93, of Antioch, died Wednesday at the Birch Hill Nursing Home in Shawano, Wis. Mr. Petty, who taught in a one-teacher school in 1919, went on to be the principal in Grayslake in 1923 and three years later moved to Antioch, where he became the superintendent of the elementary school. In 1931, he was elected as county superintendent of schools for Lake County, a position he held for 40 years until he retired on Aug. 1, 1971. In 1968, when asked about his job as the county superintendent of schools, Mr. Petty said, ``It's like asking a mother with 10 children at the end of a wash day, `what did you do today?' '' One of Mr. Petty's most outstanding achievements was in 1960, when he organized the Special Education Joint Agreement District of Lake County to benefit children who could not be adequately educated in the regular classroom. Education ``was definitely a priority for him,'' said his granddaughter, Heather Menzer, of Antioch. ``He went to a high school 20 or 30 miles from home and boarded there and worked his way through.'' Mr. Petty held a bachelor of education degree from Illinois State University at Normal, a master of arts degree from the University of Chicago and an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Lake Forest College. He taught at the college as part of the evening school faculty from 1943 to 1953. For five years, Mr. Petty was the manager of the Illinois State Teachers' Reading School Board and in 1941 was appointed by then-Gov. Dwight Green as one of nine members on the Illinois Public School Commission. Mr. Petty was preceded in death by his wife, Lillie, who died in 1984. Survivors include three sons, Frank, William and David; eight grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Services were held Monday. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.