News Article. "Concord resident, founder of Wee Forest Folk, celebrates a century"

• Title	News Article. "Concord resident, founder of Wee Forest Folk, celebrates a century"
  Short Title	News Article. "Concord resident, founder of Wee Forest Folk, celebrates a century"
  Publisher	Concord, Massachusetts: Concord Journal, 20 June 2019
  Source ID	S1411
  Text	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.
  Linked to (1)	Annette J. Benson