All About Jeannie

Jean Ellis was born in 1929 — in a place and time when few young women went to college. She was expected to stay on the farm, get married, and open a store when she grew up. But Jeannie had other ideas! She dreamed of traveling from her country home and going off to college. She wanted to meet all kinds of people and explore the world she had only read about in books. To fulfill her dream, she worked hard, saved her money, and got accepted into college at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. After two years of study, before she had the opportunity to finish her degree, she married her college sweetheart and soulmate, soon-to-be Reverend Robert Graetz, and began the next phase of her great education — in the school of life! She spent the next 60+ years being a partner in Bob’s ministry, raising their seven children, and helping disenfranchised persons all over the world. She had an exciting 60 years doing many of the things she dreamed of — traveling, seeing new sights, and meeting a variety of people — but her college goals were unfulfilled...until now. In 2008, when Jeannie was in her late 70s, she decided to return to her lifelong dream of finishing her degree in teaching. She has been a student at Alabama State University ever since (and doing extremely well, we might add!). Now in her mid-80s, she is preparing to graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Education!