I grew up in Winchester, Indiana. I earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Bethany Nazarene College in Oklahoma, and a Master’s degree from Wichita State University in Kansas. I taught music in Kansas for six years, then moved to Mount Vernon in 1969 to teach at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and work as Organist/Choir Director at Gay Street UMC. After a few years I switched to teaching in the Mount Vernon Public Schools, which lasted for 27 years. After 29 years, I resigned from Gay Street UMC and moved away, working at some other churches. In 2016 my partner and I moved back to Mount Vernon, and I have enjoyed being back at Gay Street.