Moving On

In 1963 I married my wife Carole who I met at Wagner College. As our family grew it was always a treat for our children and ourselves to visit my parents at 70 Satterlee. We were there almost once per week and our children knew every room and hiding place as I once did. Over the years many great Christmas celebrations were enjoyed around the Christmas tree in the living room. The height of the ceilings provided ample space for some large trees over the years.

We also enjoyed many Easter egg hunts in the yard. When I was a youth I was responsible for hiding the eggs for my brother’s and sister’s children to find. When Carole and I had our children my brother’s and sister’s children would hid the eggs and oversee my children finding them. We often held family parties in the basement which we called our “Rumpus Room” There was a piano at one end of the room. I remember that there were cut-out figures from the wallpaper glued to the piano. Occasionally we convinced my mother to play. She had a limited amount of tunes that she knew without music but played each well, at least to my ear. It was always great to return to 70 Satterlee Street. It always rekindled many wonderful memories from my early childhood and into much of my adult life.
Although our Petersen family was only a part of the ownership of The Biddle House, our family was a most significant factor in its resurrection and the reason it still exists today. It is great to know that it is now being preserved and maintained but I doubt I will ever return to the house. I am very content to continue to embrace the great memories that my life there has given me and to remember them only as they were while I lived there.

Chuck Petersen - 1/22/2018

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