Carlene Faye Wheeler

She was born October 17, 1946, in Claremont, NH. She was the second of three children born to Carl Benjamin Stoughton and Blanche E. Frohock Stoughton Howe. The family lived in North Charlestown, NH, where she attended Farwell School. From the time she could walk, Carlene spent time on her grandparents’ farm where she loved and cared for every kind of farm animal.

Besides taking care of animals and riding horses, Carlene’s school years were filled with music, as she sang in school and church, and played the alto saxophone in concert and jazz ensembles.

After graduating from Stevens High School in Claremont, NH, Carlene attended Castleton State College in VT where she studied animal anatomy and biology. She then moved and interned at Silvermine Farm in Norwalk, CT, where she completed horse mastership studies, which led her to teach competitive riding and jumping at the Wilton Riding Academy in Wilton, CT.

In the early 1980’s Carlene returned to northern New England, and in 1984 opened Meadow Ridge Kennels, where for the past 30 years she has raised hundreds of German Shepherd puppies, and offered boarding, training, grooming, and pet supplies to the Monadnock region. Over the years, Carlene’s one-on-one personal training services have helped dog owners salvage difficult behavior problems with their pets.

In 1990 Carlene made a personal declaration and committed herself as a disciple of Jesus Christ. She was very vocal with her newfound faith, and challenged those around her to seek the Lord for themselves. In the 20+ years that followed, Carlene found her musical voice again. Combined with her faith in Jesus, she wrote and recorded dozens of original gospel choruses.

Carlene married her current husband, Karl Wheeler, in 1999. Together they expanded the kennel business to become a full-fledged farm, raising multiple goats, cows, rabbits, pigs, goats, horses, and more goats. She managed a massive garden and raised chickens and turkeys, all for the purpose of giving them away to feed local families. Carlene was a member of multiple non-profit organizations, including the American Kennel Club, the American Dairy Goat Association, Second Amendment Sisters, and others. Karl and Carlene spent the majority of their free time together attending bible studies, ministering to the sick, the elderly, and assisting in wedding and graveside services throughout the region.

Carlene is survived by her husband, Karl Wheeler, of Sullivan; son, Scott Peters and his wife, Yvonne, of Troy, NH and grandsons, Michael and Andrew; a step-daughter Kelly Darling-Snow of Keene and her children, Annessa Darling and Kasey Snow; step-son, Kevin Wheeler of Sullivan, and his children Kevin, Jonathon, Tucker, and Corin Wheeler; a sister and brother-in-law Gaylie-May and Jerry Blake of Alstead, NH, nieces, great-nieces, great-nephews, and two great-great-nieces. She is predeceased by her parents, sister Bonny Garrett, and step-father Franklin A. Howe.

A funeral and celebration service will be held Monday, June 9, 2014 at 11:00 AM in the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene. Burial will follow in the Sullivan Center Cemetery, Church Street, Sullivan. Family and friends are invited to call on Monday from 10:00 to 11:00AM at the Foley Funeral Home.