I grew up on a farm in southeast Nebraska. After graduation from high school I taught one year in a rural elementary school. I then attended Midland Lutheran College. In Lincoln, NE, I attended the Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing and earned a registered nurse license. I completed post-graduate studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. I graduated with a MEd degree. Charles Ellis and I were married in 1962. We have two adult daughters and spouses who are: Dr. Christine and Pat Ellis-McKeon and Beth and Todd Lineweber. We have two grand-daughters: Carley and Miranda. I retired from full time nursing in 2001 after practicing nursing for 53 years. Twenty five of those years were in the area of nursing education. After retirement I worked “on call” in a variety of nursing settings. Since 2001 I have had the pleasure of working as a teachers aid at St. Paul Lutheran School. I have several hobbies which are: playing the dulcimer, quilting, embroidering, and volunteering at the Homestead National Monument. I love to spend time with my loving and fun family and am blessed with many loyal and trusting friends. I have always loved interacting with people of all ages. People and music are my greatest pleasures. What a wise God we have to have created both. (especially people) :).