United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties: Relating to Petersburg
Recently, I once again attended the Summerfield Schools’ bi-monthly April Community Breakfast, hosted by Superintendent Scott Salow. These breakfast events are fun and informative. The Summerfield Schools leadership team learns about community happenings, and the community learns about Summerfield happenings. As I approached the outskirts of Petersburg on the way to the breakfast meeting, I felt myself getting a bit weepy. Petersburg reminds me of my Scheuerman family, and I don’t know if I was thinking about Mother’s Day and missing my mother and grandmothers or maybe I was just plain sentimental about my family roots in Petersburg.
I went into the library for the meeting, and I saw many familiar Petersburg faces. First, I saw Deb, who’s part of my Zion Lutheran Church of Summerfield family, and Diane, a family friend who grew up with my Aunt Debbie. Next, I made a point of visiting with Petersburg historian and local legend Chuck Bruckner from the Summerfield Class of 1948 (first “Summerfield High School” Class after the area Petersburg schools consolidated in 1947). Chuck gives a snippet of Petersburg history at each meeting. These days he is sporting a beautiful, new varsity jacket made by All Hearts Athletics in Dundee. Chuck is a longtime family friend through the Petersburg United Methodist Church where my Grandma (Pruden) Scheuerman’s relatives attended for many decades. (He is also related to my dad’s Uncle Carl, who married into my Schultz family). Pastor Josh Ellis and Coach Tim Berta, both from Petersburg New Life Church, gave messages about “sowing into one another” — a great inspirational message. Another longtime family friend, Jean, shared a story of a recent reconnection with her band director from the late 1950s who was a mentor and “sower” to her. This band director went on to be a Penn State band director, and his career started in Petersburg! Jean’s husband’s family grew up across West Vesey Street from the Scheuerman family, so these families are lifelong friends. It was comforting for me to talk with all these Petersburg folks because they knew my parents and grandparents, helping me remember my loved ones who were special people to them, too. These friends and community members have “sowed” into each other for decades.
I started my own speech in front of the community breakfast crowd sharing how I used to say to my parents, “I don’t know why God gave me to you two people in Petersburg, Michigan … but I’m glad He did!” I added, “And I am glad to be in Petersburg today!”
I did talk about our upcoming United Way Health Check and Lenawee Golf Outing events (go to www.unitedwaymlc.org for more info). But I left feeling great about being in Petersburg once again.
After the breakfast meeting, I drove to Adrian via Deerfield. On my way, I took a brief drive through the St. Alphonsus Cemetery in Deerfield to pay homage to my Scheuerman grandparents, Harold and V. Alice Scheuerman; Uncle Philip Scheuerman; Cousin Gary Edward Brewer; Great-Grandparents Victor and Emma Scheuerman; and Great-Great-Grandfather Georg Scheuerman, from Schollanbach, Germany. I drove through the Deerfield Township cemetery, too, to pay respects to my Grandma Scheuerman’s grandparents, Samuel and Margaret Pruden from Cambridgeshire, England. I didn’t personally know all these relatives, but I know they “sowed” faith and goodness into those that I did know and love. I called my Aunt Mary Ann Scheuerman (hands free!) to share this family roots experience with her. She, too, feels blessed to be from Petersburg! I tell people from the Monroe area that I am from the “extreme Western edge of Monroe County”, and I tell people in the Adrian area that I am from the “other side of Deerfield”! Either way, Petersburg is indeed the center of the universe for me.
The United Way funds 10 local Lenawee County agency programs and serves as a donor designation vehicle for 30-plus additional agencies. All funds raised in Lenawee County stay in Lenawee County. We appreciate your support to help fight poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, mental health and substance use disorders, domestic violence, and other important community needs.
For more information about donating to the United Way, please contact us. Call us at 517-264-6821, email lpipis@unitedwaymlc.org, visit us at 136 E. Maumee St., Suite 15, Adrian, MI 49221, or visit our website at www.unitedwaymlc.org. Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok social media platforms, too.
Laura Schultz Pipis is the executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties: Relating to Petersburg
