Friends aim to get headstone for woman who died in poverty.

from the Greeley Tribune

Wow! This is really touching. - Kale

By Mike Peters

It's difficult for her friends, asking for donations to bury a woman they all miss, they all respect, a woman who gave so much to others. Terry Pettis was 52 when she died last week after battling breast cancer for three years.

"She was a big-time volunteer who helped police officers and emergency service people after they'd gone through traumatic incidents," said Gary McCabe, former head of the Weld County Ambulance Service in Greeley. "She always gave, never expecting anything in return ... then she died in poverty and only wanted to be cremated and buried next to her mother."

And there is the problem. McCabe and other friends of Pettis last week gathered enough donations to pay for cremation and burial of their friend. Now they'd like something to mark her grave.

"I always thought of Terry as my other mom," said Dena Adams, another friend and admirer of Pettis. "She would volunteer for anything that would help others, and while she never had much of anything, she always found some way to help someone else."

Pettis was a native of Weld County, growing up in Gilcrest and getting a degree from Aims Community College. She worked for nearly 20 years in Weld County Dispatch and earned a certificate of merit and was an employee of the year.

In 2002, she became a victim's advocate and program assistant at South Weld Victim Services, so she came to help not only the victims of crimes, but also police officers and others who had to deal with tragedies.

"I met her through my job at the Milliken Police Department," said Officer Autumn Dickerson. "She was always there to help others."

Just after Pettis lost her job, breast cancer struck. She had no job, no health insurance, but she had friends. They helped when they could, painting her bedroom, painting the outside of her house. "Terry never really had much of anything," Adams said, "because she always felt it was more important to help others."

Added McCabe: "It seems Terry was always giving and never wanted anything back or any recognition. Maybe because of that, there are a lot of people who didn't know her." The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Peters Catholic Church, 915 12th St., Greeley.

HOW TO HELP Contributions for the Terry Pettis grave marker can be sent to the First National Bank, 1701 23rd Ave. in Greeley.