Two Decades Of Service—

Probate Clerk Offers Comfort And Knowledge

By Nancy K. Crevier

For 20 years, Peggy Jepsen has served as court probate clerk in Newtown, serving first under Judge Merlin Fisk, and since 1991, under Judge Margot S. Hall.

“My expertise is in the forms from the State of Connecticut to take care of whichever process a person is trying to accomplish in court,” said Ms Jepsen. There are myriad of forms, she said, for the many matters over which a probate court has jurisdiction. Probating wills, administering estates, overseeing living trusts, determining title, appointing guardians, terminating parental rights, granting adoptions, granting name changes, and committing the emotionally ill to the proper facility are just some of the areas that probate courts cover, each with its own forms. Ms Jepsen’s job is to walk people through the forms, a process many people find intimidating, she said.

“In probate, we have a real touch with people. Our papers are supposed to be people friendly, but people get panicky when they see forms,” she said. Ms Jepsen patiently guides them through the process, and in addition, puts to use her people skills. “I know that the court system gives people time to think through their decisions, so I let people know that they don’t have to feel rushed at a time when they are under stress,” she said.

“People who come through the door [to probate court] are often going through a sad time in their lives. I’ve hugged many people who come in, who may have lost a spouse or are going through divorce or child proceedings. I’ve babysat children in the office while the parents are in court,” she said.

The compassionate hand extended in the office of the probate court is one that has been nurtured by Judge Hall, Ms Jepsen said. “I learned all of this from Judge Hall. She taught me to care for the people who come in.”

The probate court is very family-oriented, according to Ms Jepsen. “It’s nice that it is in our district and people don’t have to go to other districts or to Superior Court to settle estate matters and such. It is a lot faster to go through the probate court locally. A lot of courts today also don’t do passports anymore, but Judge Hall thinks we should offer that service to the community, so passports can be obtained here, too,” Ms Jepsen said.

In addition to serving as court probate clerk, Ms Jepsen is also a notary public and a justice of the peace. Over the course of the years she has also picked up a litigation certificate, she said. “What that is, is the understanding and knowledge to write up a situation in language that can be understood and used in a court proceeding,” she explained.

What happens in probate court stays within the walls of the building, Ms Jepsen stressed, so outside of work she pursues her other interests.

Ms Jepsen is currently writing a novel that she hopes to finish by the end of this year. She has always loved writing, she said, and was encouraged by her late mother, a poet, and several of her friends to write this book.

“And I love antiques and art. I don’t really ‘know’ art, but I know what I like,” she said. Her eye for value paid off recently when she acquired a watercolor at an auction, discovering since then that the piece was by a famous Greenwich watercolor artist, Marilyn Caldwell. “I didn’t know anything about it when I bid on it. I just loved it,” she said.

Ms Jepsen, who lives in a 1758 farmhouse on The Ram Pasture, and is a lover of history, has been a past president of the Newtown Historical Society.

“I was also a Republican Town Committee member, and I was president of the Connecticut Association of Probate Clerks for two years, so I do keep busy,” said Ms Jepsen.

“I love this business. The 20 years as court probate clerk — 21 years in November, actually — have gone by quickly,” she said.

When Fairfield Hills Hospital closed in 1995, the huge amount of paperwork that had been associated with that facility slowed to a trickle. “We did have to downsize the office a bit at that time, but the town continues to grow and we are incredibly busy,” Ms Jepsen said.

“The people I meet and work with, and the challenges of the job have kept me here and I don’t see going anywhere else in the near future. There is a nice division of work in the office. Judge Hall and I discuss decisions and how they need to be handled. Because she was once the probate clerk, she understands the job I do and it’s a real nice relationship. She is a wonderful judge,” said Ms Jepsen.

“I love my job. It’s nice to be able to help bring people through a tough time.”