I was born at Elkhart, Kansas, raised just south of Elkhart on a ranch/farm. I went to country school, Yarbrough, Oklahoma. I graduated from there in 1963. I went to Amarillo, Texas and got a business degree in banking. Then worked for Southwestern Investment Company in Amarillo, where I met my husband, who, was in the Air Force. We married in 1964. I continue to work for Southwestern Investment Company until we moved to Great Bend, Kansas where I worked for the First National Bank until my husband got transferred to El Reno. I took a few years to raise our children and got my teaching degree.

I have been a music teacher in Oklahoma since 1983 retired in 2003 and moved to Kansas in 2003 for husbands job and became a music teacher 7-12 and drama teacher for a year and then went to teaching in Butler Co. Jr. College for 3 years. Moved to Tribune, Kansas where I was the music teacher for four years and moved to Canon City, Colorado to teach in the Canon City Jr College four years.