Charlotte Clinger - Peet
Gloversville, NY


Biography

It is hard to believe 50 years have passed since graduating from high school. Following high school it was off to the University of Iowa where I received a BA majoring in retail, home economics and teaching. After graduation I returned to Penfield entering the working force as a junior executive at Sibley’s.

A year later I was married to my high school sweetheart Don Peet and we moved to Chillicothe, Ohio were Don was employed at Mead Paper Company as an industrial engineer. Our first child, Christopher, was born there. After several years in Chillicothe we decided it would be nice to be nearer to family and we moved back to Penfield. Our second son, Trevor, was born in Rochester. Don worked for Castle Company, as a product specialist. This change led him into working within the healthcare system which carried on for most of the next 17 years (most of those years as a consultant). Don continued his education receiving a MBA. Being a consultant involved a large number of moves and we lived in Buffalo, NY, Erie, PA (where we adopted our daughter Heather) , Spring, Texas (outside of Houston) and Homewood, IL (outside of Chicago). While in Homewood Don received a call to full time ministry and started to attend Northern Baptist Seminary which moved us to Lombard, IL. For the next 20 years Don served as a Pastor in various churches; some as Interim Minister and ended his ministry as called Pastor for Second Reformed Church in Rotterdam, NY. Don retired in 2009 because of health issues (Parkinson).

During most of this time I was a stay at home Mom and I loved being with the kids and being involved in their activities and schools. My outside activities included volunteering as a medic for the Penfield Ambulance, Charter President of the Penfield Jayncees, Foster Parent, Coordinator of School Volunteers, Marriage Encounter Leader, church work and participating on several bowling teams. Over the years I have been fortunate to travel to several foreign countries including China, Israel, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and many Caribbean Islands. Don and I love to cruise and spend many vacations that way.

In 1980 my best friend and I started our own painting business and we worked at this for six years. Because it was our business we could control our hours around our children’s schedules. In 1986 I took a job with BWD in their finance department and remained there while Don finished up Seminary. Don’s first call was to Brooklyn, NY where he served New Utrecht Reformed Church. After adjusting to life in the Big Apple and getting Heather settled in her high school I started to work for the Reformed Church in America National Headquarters as the Administrative Assistant to the General Secretary. A little over a year later I was promoted to the Administrator of the Insurance Department and served in that position, eleven years, I left when Don was called to the Second Reformed Church in Rotterdam.

My brother, who lived in Pittsford, died several years earlier, so I became the primary caregiver for my parents. A year after moving to the Schenectady area I realized my parents could no longer manage living in their house in Penfield so I moved them to a retirement community in Schenectady. Once they were settled I acquired my CNA New York license. I wanted to be able to care for Mom and Dad and keep them at home together for their final years. My Mon died in 2002 at the age of 91 and Dad remained in their apartment until the spring of 2003 when we moved him in with us in Mayfield, NY. Dad died in 2006 just shy of 101.

For the last two years we have wintered in North Myrtle Beach and have decided to move there. Our house is now on the market and we are waiting for it to sell and will relocate at that time.

Our children
• Chris ( Computer Department Manager for NYC Board of Education and second year Seminary student) married to Karen Larson and has two children Jenna 17 (about to start college) and Josh just starting high school.
• Trevor (Manger for Verizon) is married to Karen Higgins and has two step children Julia just starting high school and Jack in fourth grade.
• Heather is single and in the process of opening a dog wash and grooming business.

Best Regards to all.