Annette J. Benson

1919 -

• Name	Annette J. Benson
  Birth	13 Jun 1919	New York State   [6]
  Census	1930	Queens, Queens County, New York   [1]
  Age: 10
  Address: 6120 43rd Avenue
  She was recorded while living with her parents.
  Census	1940	New York City, New York County, New York   [2]
  Age: 20
  Address: 1c Riverside Drive
  She was recorded while living with her parents. She was a clerk.
  Miscellaneous	13 Jun 2019 (Age 100)	Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts   [4]
  In what’s lovingly called the “mouse workshop” in Carlisle, painters carefully paint tiny collectible mice and other animals for the local, family owned, worldwide business Wee Forest Folk. The workshop opens weekly for tours, but on June 13 the workshop opened its doors for a special purpose -- the celebration of Concord resident and founder of Wee Forest Folk Annette Peterson’s 100th birthday. The workshop held a two-day event with morning and evening sessions to accommodate all the guests. At least 90 Wee Forest Folk collectors came to celebrate Peterson’s life with cake, a raffle, a custom mouse and a visit by the founder herself. “It was the most wonderful two days I ever spent,” Peterson said. She said that some of the collectors have become good friends over many years of collecting her animals. “We all got old but I got the oldest,” she said with a laugh. Peterson grew up during the Great Depression and constantly moved among foster homes. In her 20s, she worked as a secretary in New York City. Although Peterson never had any formal art training, she said she always liked to make art that made people happy. When Peterson worked for the Red Cross during World War II, she painted a scene of bunnies in the countryside on the wall. She said her coworkers enjoyed it and that “it was good to have a little foolishness” because the war was so devastating.
  Person ID	I7935	| Spouse of a Delvee
  Last Modified	21 Dec 2021

  
  

  Father	Walter J. Benson,   b. Abt 1898, Sweden
  Mother	Julia,   b. Abt 1897, Germany
  Family ID	F3598	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Richard Edward Petersen,   b. 27 Jul 1921, Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts d. 16 Aug 2017, Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts (Age 96 years)
  Marriage	1949  [5]
  Age at Marriage	She : ~ 29 years and 6 months - He : ~ 27 years and 5 months.
  Marriage License	25 Aug 1949	Manhattan, New York City, New York   [3]
  Children	1. James Petersen   2. William Petersen   3. Donna Petersen
  Family ID	F3078	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	4 Oct 2020

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 13 Jun 1919 - New York State Census - 1930 - Queens, Queens County, New York Census - 1940 - New York City, New York County, New York Marriage License - 25 Aug 1949 - Manhattan, New York City, New York Miscellaneous - 13 Jun 2019 - Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  Annette Petersen on her 100th Birthday

  
  

• Sources

  [S509] 1930 U.S. Federal Census , (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002). Year: 1930; Census Place: Queens, Queens, New York; Page: 25B; Enumeration District: 0083; FHL microfilm: 2341321 [S806] 1940 U.S. Federal Census, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012). Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, New York, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02636; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 31-577 [S1348] New York, New York, Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018, (Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017). [S1411] News Article. "Concord resident, founder of Wee Forest Folk, celebrates a century", (Concord, Massachusetts: Concord Journal, 20 June 2019). [S1116] Obituary of Richard E. Petersen, (Concord, Massachusetts: The Concord Journal 21 August 2017). [S500] U.S. Public Records Index, (Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010).