April & Craig
As we dreamed and pondered about buying our first home, we realized that a community in which we knew our neighbors well was important. We also wanted to live around children and growing families. The more we learned about CoHo, the more we liked it: its values, location, and people.
Craig
I started life on a dairy farm in Minnesota. My family moved to central Oregon in 1965. I graduated from Southern Oregon University in 1976 with a BFA in theater and then worked in Portland as a cab driver and secretary, and was an avid bicycle commuter and tourist.
April
I am an Oregon native, born in Portland and growing up mostly in Salem. After graduating from Smith College in 1977 with a BA in music, I returned to live in Portland, working as a church youth director, a summer camp director, and violist with the Salem Symphony.
We met at one of the many United Methodist church camp events that we attended and helped lead. Married in 1981, life soon included a child and vocational choices for ministry. We attended Pacific School of Religion, an ecumenical seminary in Berkeley, CA. By the time we graduated, we had earned Master of Divinity degrees and a second daughter. Craig’s first pastoral appointment was in Pocatello, Idaho. From there we moved to upstate New York where April served as a church camp director. We returned to Oregon in 1995; Craig became pastor at the United Methodist church in Hermiston, April taught private music lessons, and our two girls grew and a graduated from high school.
In 2003, we moved to Albany; Craig served the UM church there and April became pastor at the Sweet Home UMC. Now Craig is the chaplain at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn.
Craig likes to cook and read, April likes to sing and paint.
Prairie and Autumn
Prairie (born 1982) lives in Honduras, as part of a women’s Methodist-Quaker monastery. Read their reports at www.umoi.net/our-ministries/missions/amigas-del-senor. Prairie graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2004 with a major in music. She served a year in the Lutheran volunteer Corps, working to meet people’s basic needs through Neighborhood House in St. Paul, MN. She plays clarinet, guitar, sings, likes to cook, read and values living in community.
Autumn (born 1984) graduated from St. Olaf College in 2007 where she double majored in Latin American studies and religion. After graduating, she served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Camden, NJ.. She plays flute and guitar and likes to read and write.
Autumn & Prairie leaving for Central America |
Autumn, Prairie, Craig and Cedar at Beach |
Autumn with Craig home for the holidays |
