Hannah Purcell

Hannah Lee (Eller) Purcell was an intelligent, energetic woman who excelled in all areas of her life. For her, a devoted wife and mother, family was paramount. She will be remembered for her generous spirit, her gusto for life and the unwavering support she offered to those she loved.

In 1936 FDR was up for reelection and the nation was still recovering from the Great Depression. In Terre Haute, Indiana , Cleo and Winifred Eller felt fortunate to be employed. Cleo was a stationary engineer at the local penitentiary, while Winifred worked in fabric and candy stores. The future was full of promise for Cleo and Winifred Eller as they welcomed their daughter, Hannah Lee on October 16. The Ellers continued to work hard, and though money was tight, their focus was always on Hannah and her brother James.

As a young girl, Hannah divided her time between Girl Scout meetings, Dance Club and band, where she played the clarinet. At Wiley High, Hannah put the family work ethic to good use, excelling both academically and in extra curricular activities. A straight "A" student and a member of the National Honor Society, Hannah continued to work hard and play hard. She was a Majorette in the marching band all through high school, and was also on the Red Streak cheerleading team. During the summer, she was invited to attend the Indiana Girl's State Program, a summer program in government studies for exceptional Indiana students leaders. Though she maintained a busy schedule, Hannah knew how to balance all of her activities, and no matter how much she had going, she always made time for her friends and family. Hannah also loved spending time with her high school sweetheart, Jerry Purcell, whom she started dating at the beginning of their senior year.

After graduating from Wiley High in 1954, Hannah attended Indiana State University , where Jerry also attended. College proved no different from high school, as Hannah was very active on campus and especially in her beloved sorority, Delta Gamma. As usual, Hannah never let her focus for school and her other activities take away from time with loved ones, and she and Jerry, deeply in love, married at the end of her sophomore year at ISU. They had known each other for so long and so well, they just knew it worked between them. On July 1, 1956, a friendship that had started in 7th grade, and blossomed into love, culminated in marriage.

Marriage didn't slow Hannah down academically, and she graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Accounting. After college the newlyweds started the next chapter of their lives together in their hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana where Jerry worked in a factory and Hannah taught classes on accounting and business at Wiley High School. For the next few years Jerry and Hannah settled into their new life together, taking it easy and enjoying each other. In January 1959, Jerry and Hannah were blessed with the arrival of their first child, a son, Mark. Motherhood had a huge impact on Hannah, and after having Mark, she devoted herself to being a stay-at-home mom. Over the next few years the Purcells welcomed Craig, in January of 1961, and Kathy, in October of 1962. In 1963, shortly after Kathy was born, Jerry's corporation transferred him to Georgia . After only two years, Jerry was relocated again, this time to Farmington Hills, Michigan .

While Jerry worked, Hannah dedicated her life to being a supportive mom to her children. She still found time to pursue her interests and would bowl, golf and ski through the local women's activities club. She was also an avid reader, reading up to three books a week, mainly romance or mystery novels. Her activities were always based around what was relevant to her children at the time, such as booster clubs for activities that her children were involved in. Hannah also loved to sew, and was constantly mending clothes and making Halloween costumes when the kids were young. She was a member of the PTA and very active in the children's schooling. Craig remembered that the kids only needed to hear their mother's name invoked by a teacher to straighten up in school, recalling a teacher asking him, "Do I have to call Hannah?" The teacher in her helped give direction to her children, and she would tell life story lessons to her children. Though the children didn't always realize they were learning a lesson at the time, when they came upon a situation like one she had described, they would know what to do.

Once Kathy, her youngest child, was finishing high school, Hannah decided it was time to re-enter the work force, and took a position at an engineering company for a short time and then worked for 6-8 years at McLaren Engineering, a company that put together race car engines. After leaving McLaren, Hannah worked as a financial consultant at Greenpointe/Crosswinds for several years, and after working briefly at ADCO Group, she ultimately ending up working for RP/C Alliance Corporation, which Jerry owned with another partner. At all of those jobs, she worked primarily in accounting and office management. As retirement approached, Jerry's partner said that Jerry could go, but that Hannah would have to stay.

The Purcells didn't do much traveling, though when they did, it was mainly to visit family. However, the annual ski trip to Colorado was a family tradition that Hannah and Jerry had been pursuing for well over 30 years. It had started as a family trip for their immediate family, had grown over the years into an extended family trip, and as time went on expanded to include groups from work. Hannah loved spending time with her nine grandchildren, and was as active in their lives as she could be. She also enjoyed her quiet visits to Wixom Lake, just north of Midland, Michigan, where she and Jerry had a cottage.

Hannah was a private person, and an excellent listener, who could be stubborn at times, though always straightforward. Her relationships with her loved ones were very strong and something that she truly celebrated. She was a woman who lived her younger days in the limelight, as the center of attention, but as a mother stepped out of the spotlight to let her children shine. She was a loyal, hard-working and generous woman with an unselfish nature and a great love for her family.

Hannah Lee (Eller) Purcell, age 68, of Farmington Hills, MI died Wednesday, June 8 2005, at William Beaumont Hospital, after an extended illness . Hannah is survived by her husband of 49 years, Jerry; 3 children and 9 grandchildren. Mark and wife Monica have three children and live in Dallas, Texas . Craig and wife Lynda have three children and live in Wixom, MI. Kathy and husband Mike Schultz also have three children and live in Franklin, WI . Hannah is also survived by a brother James Eller of Loveland, CO . Visitation will be Sunday, June 12th from 2 - 4 pm and 6 - 9 pm at the McCabe Funeral Home, 31950 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48334 . Memorials may be made to Beaumont Foundation, First Word Society, C/O Hannah Purcell, 2291 Pawnee Dr., Wixom, MI 48393 or Wm. Beaumont Hospice, 1200 Stephenson Highway, Troy, MI 48083. The funeral service will be Monday at 10 am at the funeral home. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com for more information.