Charlene Follett

Charlene V. Follett left her body on Jan. 13, 2021 and is now in a far better place.  She leaves behind her beloved husband Don and her two daughters, Christine of Roseville, and Catherine of Seattle. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Nate and Jaelyn, Seattle; sister Jeanette Brace, Burnsville; brother LarryPetersen (Lynne) Shoreview; and many nieces and nephews.  She is predeceased by parents Harry and Leola Petersen and brother Dean Petersen.

Charlene, widely known as Char, was born in Waterloo, IA, on Nov. 11, 1932.  She graduated from East High School in Waterloo, moved with her family to Minneapolis, and entered the University of Minnesota as a journalism major.  She met Don in a class, theymarried in 1957, and moved to  Germany, where he served in the U.S. Army.  

​Returning to the U.S., they moved to Evansville, IN, where Char started her career in higher education as an Admissions Counselor at Evansville University. The family moved back to Minnesota in 1963 and she started work at the University of Minnesota, first as an editor, then as an academic advisor, and then for 14 years as a counselor in the U’s Student Counseling Bureau. She also entered graduate school receiving her Master's and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. 

Later, Char entered private practice as a counseling psychologist with offices in Minneapolis’ Loring Park area. She and her colleagues built a thriving practice (Minnesota Human Development Consultants) which was widely admired in the TwinCities. She worked in that practice until she was 80 years oldbecause she found so much satisfaction in helping others. Many young women psychologists attest to her role as a mentor and how much she was respected in her profession.

In 1977, Char became one of the founders of Minnesota Women Psychologists (now known as Minnesota Women in Psychology (MWP) and helped it grow. She served as editor of the MWP newsletter for 17 years, a delightful marriage of her interests and gifts. 

She is remembered by her many friends as a person of great warmth and wisdom and with a welcoming personality. A voracious reader, she was also active in several book clubs. A feminist, she was a firm supporter of the women’s movement. She found herentertainment mostly in local live theater, Gopher basketball gamesand lunches with friends. She was constantly knitting, mostly hats to donate to needy children.

From 1967 when she started working at the U, Char also helped Don raise their two daughters, who seemed to know a mom who was always studying. She loved her daughters and her grandchildren immensely and was so proud of them as her many photo albums show.

Char and Don found a church that fit their values -- University Baptist Church, a liberal social justice community.  She often remarked, "These are my people!"  She was a leader in the church’s work with the area’s “Families Moving Forward” programfor the homeless and an internal “Share the Care” ministry. In 2015 she and Don moved to RosePointe, an Independent Living Community in Roseville, another good choice. In lieu of flowers, memorials may go to Walk-in Counseling, Minneapolis, or to University Baptist Church.

​A celebration of Char’s life will be held at University Baptist Church, 1219 University Ave. SE Minneapolis at 11 a.m. Aug. 28. Face masks required. Due to covid precautions no refreshmentswill be served. Wear colorful clothes.

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