Legacy’s Centenarians: The Life Story of Ethel Shelton

Ethel Shelton was born on October 2, 1921 and remembers her childhood being impacted by the Great Depression and then WII. Ethel and her two sisters grew up in New Jersey just across the river from Philadelphia. She loved to sing and fondly remembers her high school choir winning All-State. She also is proud to say that she was her class speaker at her high school graduation.

 

Ethel married a military man, Robert, in 1942. After serving in WWII, Robert stayed in the military for a few more years. The Sheltons had two sons, Dane and David. They started to raise their family in the Princeton/Trenton, New Jersey area, but they eventually settled in Chicago, where the Sheltons lived for over 50 years. There Ethel became a member of the Apollo Chorus of Chicago.

Ethel worked for over 40 years as a registered nurse, and she is proud of having a career that served others. But she is most proud of her children. Ethel now has seven grandchildren (six girls and one boy) and sixteen great-grandchildren.

Ethel moved into Renaissance Marquis in February 2024 to be closer to family, and she has enjoyed making new friends.