Essie Mae Fetherolf's Obituary
Essie Mae "Tess" Fetherolf, 89, of Punta Gorda, Fla., passed away, Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Essie was born Feb. 9, 1925, in Summerton, S.C., the daughter of Ellis Robert and Essie (nee Jeffords) Richbourg, and grew up on a family farm.
A native of Summerton, and long time resident of Punta Gorda, Tess was a retired elementary school teacher. She graduated from Winthrop University, in Rock Hill, S.C., where she studied business administration and English. At the age of 21, she began four years of service as a fiscal officer for the Joint Forces Headquarters South Carolina in Columbia. In 1950, she married Martin D. Fetherolf Jr., a U.S. Air Force officer and WWII veteran, who passed away in 2002. As a military wife and mother, she resided in several states, including California and Virginia, and in Germany. She began her teaching career in midlife, and served for more than 27 years as an elementary school teacher, with an emphasis in special education for the earliest grades. She subsequently served as the public relations officer for the Florida Retired Educators Association, a volunteer position.
Tess is survived by her children, Barbara Fetherolf of Alexandria, VA., and Martin Fetherolf and Carol Bartlett, both of Punta Gorda; her grandchildren, Chelee Bartlett and Gregory Bartlett Jr., and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by eight brothers and sisters.
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