Uncrowned Community Builders

Jannie McCarley Peterson was born in Camden, South Carolina to Rebecca Neal and Reverend Burnie C. McCarley. She was the eldest of two children and has a sister, Rebecca Brown. She lived in Camden until age 5 when her family moved to Buffalo, New York. She attended Hutchinson Central High School. Mrs. Peterson believed strongly in education and she furthered her studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo while continuing to be a devoted wife and mother.

Jannie M. Peterson received both a B.A. degree in Psychology and a Master of Social Work at the University at Buffalo. Currently, she was a retired Social Work Supervisor for the Erie County Department of Social Services. She was also very politically active. She supported her husband's successful campaigns for Councilman for the Ellicott District where he was President Pro-Tem of the Buffalo City Council and was the first African American acting Mayor of Buffalo.

Ms. Peterson was the longest standing member of St. John Baptist Church where she served on the Board of Trustees. In addition, she served for more than 20 years as a Sunday School Teacher at the Church. Her father, Rev. Burnie C. McCarley was the founder and pastor of the church.

Over the years, Ms. Peterson has given her time to serve on many boards and committees. She served on the Board of the McCarley Gardens Housing Complex. She was a former member of the Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence, the New York State Office for Aging-Older Americans Act Advisory Committee and the Professional and Technical Advisory Committee of Coordinated Care Management Corporation (CCMC). Ms. Peterson also was a former Board member of the Niagara Frontier Association for Sickle Cell Disease, Inc. and volunteered for many years as a Red Cross Ombudsman. She was also a very generous donor to many locan and national charitable organizations.

She was affiliated with several prestigious social organizations and was a Life Member of the NAACP as well a Golden Soror of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She was an active member of the Buffalo Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, Harriet Tubman 300's, and the Humboldt Bridge Club.

Ms. Peterson was married for nearly 72 years to King W. Peterson. The couple married on January 28, 1940. They had two children, the late Lawrence H. and Lorraine P. Rue, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchild and two great great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Peterson is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.