Growing up on the farm near Ravenwood, Missouri, she learned that each member of the family had chores to do each day. She learned to play the piano, and continued to do so throughout her life. She became an accomplished horsewoman, and could drive anything, over time this included a team of horses, a tractor and a school bus full of children.
She graduated from Ravenwood High school, and Northwest Missouri State Teachers College.
She was a teacher, and began teaching in a one-room country schoolhouse in rural Missouri in 1941, teaching all the subjects for eight grades. She taught elementary school students in Missouri, Virginia and Illinois, in a career that lasted 53 years, and always cherished the memories of the students and families she came to know.
She loved to entertain, and countless individuals enjoyed her hospitality, the delicious food she prepared and the stories she shared. Her home displayed many samples of her skill at needlework.