She was born in Fonda, Iowa, to Canadian parents Methodist clergyman Frank B. Stafford and Loretta A.
[3] Peale was the first woman to be president of the National Board of North American Missions of the Reformed Church in America.
[1][3] She also founded the Knit for Kids program of the Peale Center, which distributes sweaters to children in need.
[1][2] In 1971, she published the book The Adventure of Being a Wife, which offered advice for married women based on her and her husband's philosophy of positive thinking.
[4] During her lifetime, Peale received multiple awards and honors, including the Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans, American Association of University Women "Woman of the Year" in 2000, and four honorary doctoral degrees.