Henrietta "Peg" J. (Otto) Steele

Henrietta “Peg” J. Steele, 94

It is with sadness that the Steele family relay the death of their loving mother, Henrietta “Peg” J. (Otto) Steele.  Peg walked on from this life on February 2, 2018 at McLaren Northern Michigan.  Her family includes her children Carmen, Tony, Lorna, Nancy, Richard, Sidney and Gordon.  She is also survived by numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and extended family, including her sisters, Christine and Veronica and her brother, Don.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Charles, by an infant daughter and by six brothers and sisters. 

Her life began on April 20, 1923 in Charlevoix with her birth to Foster and Christine (Baker) Otto.  She was raised in Petoskey and attended Petoskey area schools.  She also attended the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

On March 14, 1941 she married Charles Steele, together they raised seven children.  The family lived for a short time in Flint, then moved to Pellston until settling in Petoskey where they remained. 

Peg worked locally for the Perry Hotel as a housekeeper and was also known locally as an incredibly gifted seamstress.  For a number of years she worked as a liaison between the Little Traverse Bay Band and Petoskey area Schools helping teach Native youth.

Peg was proud of her Native heritage and continued the traditions taught to her by her parents.  She was a skilled basket weaver and was an equally skilled woods woman.  She enjoyed few things more than a warm summer day spent with family, walking the woods and picking berries and mushrooms.  Her artistic skills didn’t end with weaving, she was also a gifted painter and enjoyed working in both water colors and charcoal. 

Her family will honor and remember her on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. during a funeral service that will be led by Fr. Bradley Nursey at Stone Funeral Home; visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m.  Interment will follow in the spring in McKinley Township Cemetery.

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