PAID PRINTED OBITUARY
Nina Rosila (Kiesling) Pettyjohn
December 8, 1917 – December 1, 2017
Nina Pettyjohn was a person who touched many lives with the kindness in her heart. As a beloved teacher and librarian in Washougal, she made a positive impact on so many. She loved to tell stories of her life and world travels and had a memory for detail that brought them to life.
Nina Pettyjohn was born Nina Rosila Kiesling on December 8, 1917, in Havre, Montana, to John and Donnie Kiesling.
Graduating from high school at the age of 16, she went on to get her teaching certificate from Northern Montana College and began teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Montana at the young age of 18 making $960 for the entire year.
In 1941, Nina attended the Kinman Business School in Spokane and as World War II broke out, Nina moved to Seattle and joined the Civil Service. While there she met her life-long love on a ferry boat ride, Lyle Pettyjohn, who was a young Marine fighter pilot. Six months later they were married on April 10, 1943, in Seattle.
After the war, Lyle finished his education at the University of Oregon and began his teaching and coaching career in Toledo, Oregon. The young family moved to The Dalles in 1952 and finally settled in Washougal in 1957. Lyle went on to coach Washougal’s football team to more than 100 wins. Nina resumed her teaching career and went on to get her BA and Masters Degree in Library Science from the University of Portland.