Ellen Dubois Petersen
Ellen D. Petersen, of Salem, Va., passed away peacefully in the presence of family and friends on February 9, 2026. She was preceded in death by her husband E. B. “Pete” Petersen, her parents Rev. Paul and Alice DuBois and her sister Lois Roberts. Surviving members of the family include her two sons; David B. Petersen and his wife Joetta of Blacksburg, and Roger A. Petersen and his wife Nancy, of Chesapeake, Va.; and her daughter Ann Babula and her husband Jerry, of Goodview Va. She leaves seven grandchildren, Paul Petersen and his wife Heather, Diane Schline (Petersen) and her husband Matt, Kevin Petersen and his wife Julie, Amy Michals (Petersen) and her husband McLean, Mark Petersen and his wife Racheal, Charles Wilson and his wife Tina, and Randy Hartman; as well as 10 great grandchildren, Damien Wilson, Carson Michals, Camden Michals, Madison Michals, Grace Michals, Owen Petersen, Wyatt Petersen, Landon Schline, Blake Schline, and Graham Schline.
She was a native of Jacksonville Illinois, born over 100 years ago on April 12, 1925. She graduated from Murrayville High School, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with a music major from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois and later received additional education at Western Illinois. During her early years, she worked in a candy factory in Illinois and during World War II, she worked in an airplane factory to support the war effort. She met her husband when she started teaching music in his hometown of Morrison, Illinois. She taught music in Illinois for 3 years. They moved to Salem in 1955 when her husband was transferred from Schenectady N.Y. by General Electric. Over her many years as a Salem resident, she taught dozens of children piano lessons, and for more than 30 years, she was a choir director for two Salem area churches: Wildwood Presbyterian on Wildwood Road and Locust Grove United Methodist Church in West Salem. Upon retiring from directing choirs, she joined and became a long-time member of First United Methodist Church on Main Street in Salem.
What Ellen was best known for was serving as a substitute teacher, first with Roanoke County and later with Salem schools for 45 years. She became particularly fond of the teachers, staff and students at Salem High School. She found joy in teaching young people into her 80’s and found herself teaching the children of some of the students she taught in her earlier years. Over the years, there were few places she could go without running into former students who greeted her with smiles and hugs. In her free time, she was a seamstress and was famous for her delicious cherry pies made with cherries picked from a tree in her backyard.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Ellen Petersen Scholarship fund with the Salem Education Foundation, or to First United Methodist Church, 125 W. Main St., Salem VA 24153.
Funeral Services will be held at First United Methodist Church, Salem, at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026, with Reverend Alan Combs officiating. Interment will follow at Sherwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at Lotz Funeral Home, Salem from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday February 12, 2026. Condolences may be sent to www.lotzfuneralhome.com
