Elizabeth Henkel Ulrey

Elizabeth “Betty” Henkel Ulrey, age 103, a resident of Maris Grove, Glen Mills, PA., passed away on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

Betty was born in 1919 in Detroit, MI., daughter of the late Robert Charles Peter Henkel and Beatrice Elizabeth Russell Henkel. She was a great-grandchild of Peter Henkel, who in 1855 built Detroit’s first flour mill. It was located on the banks of the Detroit River between Woodbridge and Randolph, now the site of the Detroit Windsor Tunnel and the GM Renaissance Center. Her grandfather, Robert Henkel, was president of the Commercial Milling Co. where he continued his father’s business milling Henkel’s Flour.

Betty grew up on Bedford Road in Grosse Pointe Park, MI in a home designed by her father. She graduated from Grosse Pointe High School, Bradford Junior College, and the University of Michigan. She majored in art and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, two interests that continued throughout her life. She honed her painting skills over her entire life, studying with local experts at all locations. Most recently, she studied with the well-known Edward Loper of Wilmington. At her heart, she was an artist above all and through that created much permanent beauty.

She married Army Capt. S. Scott Ulrey of Evanston, IL, June 16, 1945 in Grosse Pointe Park shortly after his return from duty in Europe after V. E. day. They were married for 70 years. The couple lived in Wilmington, DE, Victoria, TX, Parkersburg, WV, Dordrecht, Netherlands, and Fullerton, CA during her husband’s career as an engineer with the DuPont Co.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her brother Peter Henkel of Harsen’s Island, MI.

She is survived by her three children, Stephen Ulrey (Sue) of Lake Bluff, IL, Melissa Gill (Marvin) of Tampa, FL, and Robert Ulrey (Laurel) of Landenberg, PA; two grandchildren, Scott Ulrey (Anna) of Madison, WI, Russell Ulrey of Madison,WI; and great-grandchild Sebastian Ulrey of Madison, WI.

A private family service is planned with interment with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery.