Portville Hall of Fame
Marie Granger Petrick was born in Cuba, New York, on February 22, 1939.
She is the youngest of five children born to Harlan and Ella Elsaesser Granger
from Belfast, N.Y.
Marie attended school in Cuba, graduating with the Class of 1956. All of her
undergraduate years were attended in the same building, and she also rode the
same bus to and from school (Bus #3) with the same bus driver, Mr. Briggs.
She participated in several school clubs such as the school newspaper and
yearbook, designed the school logo for the then Cuba “Greyhounds”, worked
on programs for plays, and did a lot of artwork for the school. She was a
soprano in the school choir and she also sang with a double quartet for the
school and local community organizations. She also taught Sunday school at
church. Girls were not allowed to participate in sports then.
She attended the University of Buffalo for two years at the Main Campus, then
two years at Buffalo State, where she earned her Bachelor degree in Art
Education and Elementary Education. Marie continued her education at Saint
Bonaventure University earning her Masters degree.
Lee Frair hired Marie in 1967 to teach in the Elementary. Because of
retirements and an increased number of students, this was a year that hired the
greatest number of new teachers ever for Portville. She taught one year of third
grade at Portville and spent the next 29 years as art teacher, both in the
Elementary school and the High School.
• She served as Graphic artist in the Olean area
• She taught Graphic Arts at Jamestown Community College
• Freelance Photographer and did photo restoration throughout the area.
Marie was married to Jim Snyder and they had four children: Sydney Snyder
Evans, Joe Snyder, Amy Snyder Ehmann, and Shayne Snyder Certo. All of the
children graduated from Portville Central School, all were active in sports and
other activities and all have earned college degrees. Her four children rewarded
her with nine wonderful grandchildren.
Marie and fellow teacher, Chuck Bretzin, started the original Art and Antique
Show in Portville, which was a fund-raiser for the American Field Service
program (AFS) and Art programs. During her tenure as high school art teacher,
Photography, Ceramics, and Creative Craft courses were added to the
curriculum. For many years, the art program displayed student artwork at the
Cattaraugus County Fair and Portville students won many awards in both local
and regional competitions.
One of her sixth grade classes created the stained glass window that is still in
the elementary office. For many years, she took many of the candid photos for
the yearbook, school newspaper, retirements, and other photos for school
activities and sports. She designed and drew caricatures for a card given to
each person at Portville who retired during the years she worked there. Before
computers were used to create the diplomas, Marie did the calligraphy for all of
the diplomas each year for graduation. She was also a class advisor.
Marie is now married to Walt Petrick and lives in Roulette, PA. Currently, she
is the treasurer of the North Central Forest Landowners Association, a group of
170 members from four Pennsylvania counties. She and her husband produce a
colorful newsletter for the group as well as plan educational programs for
landowners who own forest acreage through a program sponsored by Penn
State.
She is delighted that her teaching career could be in a small town like Portville.
This was a great place to raise a family and the school provided them all with
the skills needed for success in life. Portville is a close-knit community that
looks out for and supports our families.
In her words: “It was my experience that the school faculty and administration
worked hard so each student could achieve academic and personal success. I
feel fortunate that my family had access to the quality education and dedicated
teachers who encouraged them. I have many lifelong friends from Portville
and valuable memories of fun, achievement and good times”.
(Presented by Gary Swetland for Hall of Fame at the Alumni Banquet, 2017)
She is the youngest of five children born to Harlan and Ella Elsaesser Granger
from Belfast, N.Y.
Marie attended school in Cuba, graduating with the Class of 1956. All of her
undergraduate years were attended in the same building, and she also rode the
same bus to and from school (Bus #3) with the same bus driver, Mr. Briggs.
She participated in several school clubs such as the school newspaper and
yearbook, designed the school logo for the then Cuba “Greyhounds”, worked
on programs for plays, and did a lot of artwork for the school. She was a
soprano in the school choir and she also sang with a double quartet for the
school and local community organizations. She also taught Sunday school at
church. Girls were not allowed to participate in sports then.
She attended the University of Buffalo for two years at the Main Campus, then
two years at Buffalo State, where she earned her Bachelor degree in Art
Education and Elementary Education. Marie continued her education at Saint
Bonaventure University earning her Masters degree.
Lee Frair hired Marie in 1967 to teach in the Elementary. Because of
retirements and an increased number of students, this was a year that hired the
greatest number of new teachers ever for Portville. She taught one year of third
grade at Portville and spent the next 29 years as art teacher, both in the
Elementary school and the High School.
• She served as Graphic artist in the Olean area
• She taught Graphic Arts at Jamestown Community College
• Freelance Photographer and did photo restoration throughout the area.
Marie was married to Jim Snyder and they had four children: Sydney Snyder
Evans, Joe Snyder, Amy Snyder Ehmann, and Shayne Snyder Certo. All of the
children graduated from Portville Central School, all were active in sports and
other activities and all have earned college degrees. Her four children rewarded
her with nine wonderful grandchildren.
Marie and fellow teacher, Chuck Bretzin, started the original Art and Antique
Show in Portville, which was a fund-raiser for the American Field Service
program (AFS) and Art programs. During her tenure as high school art teacher,
Photography, Ceramics, and Creative Craft courses were added to the
curriculum. For many years, the art program displayed student artwork at the
Cattaraugus County Fair and Portville students won many awards in both local
and regional competitions.
One of her sixth grade classes created the stained glass window that is still in
the elementary office. For many years, she took many of the candid photos for
the yearbook, school newspaper, retirements, and other photos for school
activities and sports. She designed and drew caricatures for a card given to
each person at Portville who retired during the years she worked there. Before
computers were used to create the diplomas, Marie did the calligraphy for all of
the diplomas each year for graduation. She was also a class advisor.
Marie is now married to Walt Petrick and lives in Roulette, PA. Currently, she
is the treasurer of the North Central Forest Landowners Association, a group of
170 members from four Pennsylvania counties. She and her husband produce a
colorful newsletter for the group as well as plan educational programs for
landowners who own forest acreage through a program sponsored by Penn
State.
She is delighted that her teaching career could be in a small town like Portville.
This was a great place to raise a family and the school provided them all with
the skills needed for success in life. Portville is a close-knit community that
looks out for and supports our families.
In her words: “It was my experience that the school faculty and administration
worked hard so each student could achieve academic and personal success. I
feel fortunate that my family had access to the quality education and dedicated
teachers who encouraged them. I have many lifelong friends from Portville
and valuable memories of fun, achievement and good times”.
(Presented by Gary Swetland for Hall of Fame at the Alumni Banquet, 2017)
| The Portville Historical and Preservation Society |
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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
| Marie Granger Petrick PCS Hall of Fame ~ Class of 2017 |
