I attended 9th grade at Byrd Jr. High, and High School at Memorial.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience, as I was able to make lifelong friends.  Never had I lived in one place that long.

I went to Oklahoma State University where I started out studying Art.  My major then changed to Interior Design, and at the same time I began to rethink my goals, and decided to double major in special education.  I received my Interior Design degree in 1974, and my special education degree in 1975. 

I met Rusty Couch at OSU in Cordell Hall my senior year in college.  I saw him in the hall's cafeteria, he also saw me and ate with my roommate and me, and we began to date.  He lived in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.  He was a Finance major, and didn't finish his degree until after we were married.  He was a dedicated boyfriend and impressed me with his boy-next-door athletic looks, his ease at talking to anyone and making them feel comfortable, down to earth attitude, and great work ethic.  He played no games, and meant what he said.  He was so easy to love.  He is one of five children, and the second oldest.  Not having any siblings myself, his family offered me a wonderful extended family as well.  I had never seen a close knit family like his and they welcomed me and made me feel such a part of it... so quickly.

We never waivered about our feelings for each other, and married in January of 1976.  I had gotten a job teaching in Frederick, Oklahoma.  So, I started teaching, the week before we got married.  Rus drove down the end of that first week, we drove to Lawton, Oklahoma, and had decided to get married at a justice of the peace, however when we arrived late that Friday evening, they were all going home.  Rus got on the phone, called around for a preacher, and talked a Baptist preacher into marrying us, at that very minute.  Did I mention his persuasive manner.  We lived in Frederick a year and a half, and during that time Rus took classes in Lawton, then..in the summer moved back to Stillwater, and I began to study towards my Master's degree in Educational Psychology.  I continued the summer after I quit in Frederick, and I took a teaching job in Ralston, Oklahoma.  We lived in Stillwater, and I commuted to Ralston for two years.  Rus worked for the county assessor and continued his education, as did I.  I took night classes and summer classes.  In 1979 I received my degree and we moved to Houston, Texas. I worked as a special education teacher at Spring Branch High School for 4 years.  Rus had graduated before I did in Finance, and was interested in appraising.  His interest came from his father, who worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as an appraiser for many years.  Rus received his MAI(Member of the Appraisal Institute) in the early 80's and owned his own appraisal company, First Realty, with 20 employees.  It was mentioned in the Houston Business Journal as one of the largest appraisal firms in the early 90's.  At that time, the economy began to go down the tubes, and Rus developed skin cancer which which was very agressive, and all this happened when we were changing insurance companies, so we were saddled with major surgery expenses at MD Anderson Cancer Center,  We lost the company and our home.  Within just a few months of all of this, Rus began having major back problems.  He went through disc surgery as well.  (I had had the same surgery about 8 years prior).  The surgery wasn't a total success for him.  He found a job in California at a bank that needed an appraiser.  He asked us to stay in Texas while he was in California.  He really was against the kids being in the schools there.  I decided that if I could get a job in Pawhuska, that the kids and I would move there and have moral support from Rus's family while he was in California.  Remarkably, Pawhuska had a job opening, a new job as a jr. high special ed. teacher.  It was supposed to be part time, however, more kids than were expected that year qualified, and I had a full time job.  That first year was very challenging, as I hadn't taught in 10 years, and I had a 4 year old and 10 year old to take care of, mostly by myself.  Rus moved to Pawhuska after a year in California.  To make matters worse, he had to have another back surgery while he was in California.  I couldn't go there to help.  So, he did it all by himself.  After 5 years in Pawhuska, Rus knew he couldn't make a living there as he was driving back and forth to Dallas for appraisal jobs, so we all moved to the area in 1998.  My mother had moved to Pawhuska in 1995 because of health problems, so she sold her house and followed us to Weatherford.  She died in 2000 of melanoma that had metastasized internally.  I took a resource teaching job in the jr. high in Weatherford for 3 years.  I was then offered a 3 year contract, and I turned it down.  I have been home the last 4 years.

Rus is working for a company, Joseph Blake and Associates, in Dallas, and also has a lot of his own clients. 

Michelle, my daughter is 21, and a senior at TCU in Fort Worth.    Britt, my son, is 15, and a sophomore at Weatherford High School.  This is his second year on the golf team.   

Rus and I enjoy all kinds of music.  We have recently developed an interest in classical and enjoy the Fort Worth Symphony. We also like taking trips together, and especially enjoy Mexico.  The beaches there are our favorite thing to do.  We have been to several places in Mexico including Playa Del Carmen, Porto Vallarta, Cancun, Cozumel, and Ixtapa.  We have also been to Aruba, which  was a different experience.  I would like to visit New York and go to a broadway play and also go to Hawaii.  If we ever get to visit Europe, I think Rome and Paris would be my first choices.