Obituary of Henrietta Pettway

Henrietta Garrett-Pettway was one of six children born to the late Bessie Garrett and Sylvester Powell on January 6, 1918 in Flatrock ,AL. She was raised by her grandparents, Joe and Mary Garrett, in Mobile, AL, due to her mother dying at a young age. Henrietta was born to sharecroppers, and although she only had a 2nd grade education, wisdom soon became her best teacher. Henrietta met and later married Eddie Pettway in her early 20s, and from this union came 13 children: Ella, Inell , Frank, Willie, Bessie, Sara, Katie, Eddie Jr, twins Janey and Jimmy, George, and another set of twins who died at an early age. She moved to Boston in August of 1962 and worked as a domestic worker and later at a coat factory, where she met her longtime friend, Georgia Dubose. Henrietta was most known for doing the right thing with grace! She was very proud and protective of her children. She was very spiritual. One of her favorite hobbies was making quilts! She also loved reading the Bible, as well as cooking. Southern cooking was her specialty, especially cornbread, beef short ribs and rabbit! She was a homebody, who loved to watch tv shows like “Sanford and Sons’’. Henrietta had accepted Christ at a young age, and when she moved to Boston, She Joined New Hope Baptist Church in 1963. She was member of the choir early on ,and then later joined the Floral Ministry ,as well as the Pastor’s Aid Ministry. Shirley Caesar and Mahalia Jackson were her favorite gospel singers. Famous sayings that Henrietta would use are: “ God keep me from dying out!” , “All leaning trees are not the first to fall” and “ Keep a living”. God called Henrietta home on June 11th 2022. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings ,Jack ,Willie and Elosin of Mobile, AL, and Helen Richardson and LulaMae Hunter of Cleveland, OH, as well as children: Ella Mae Pettway-Young, Frank Lee, Sara Lee, Katie Mae, Eddie Jr. She leaves to cherish her memories her children: Inell Pettway-Bell, Willie James Pettway, Bessie Lee Pettway-Stroud (Charlie), Jannie Lee Pettway-Valtine (Ronald), Jimmy Lee Pettway and George Pettway (Pricilla), a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and friends.