Ralph & Nancy McDaniel have been married for 32 years and Ralph has been a church Elder for 8 years. Both of them grew up in California – Nancy in the northern Redwoods and Ralph in San Diego. Nancy has an Associate’s Degree with emphasis on Sociology and works as the Children’s Librarian at the Pinedale Library. Ralph has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Arts. They met in Aracata, CA. Nancy said, “It was a plot. My roommate wanted me to go to a Campus Crusade Bible Study/Pizza Party to meet someone else. I went, but I met Ralph instead. We met in September and we were married the next March. We lived in a trailer by the ocean. When you find the right one, you just know!”

A few months later they were on their way to Australia where Ralph had a teaching job. Nancy said, “It was a chance of a lifetime. Also, we were broke and everything was paid for. God’s hand was in it.” They lived in the church manse in Brisbane, Wendouree, Ballarat, Victoria for one and a half years and were in Australia two years. “We had Sunday School classes in our living room, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom. It was a blessing to be part of that little church. That’s when we started to grow in the Lord.” While in Australia they took “funny little camping trips,” Nancy recalled. “We slept in the back of the station wagon and saw Brisbane, Ayers Rock and Adelaide.” Nancy had worked as a pharmacist assistant in CA, so she found ‘a little chemist shop’ where she worked until their first child was born. Their son Matthew was born in Australia (& had dual citizenship until he was 18), but there were strong ties to return to the US. Nancy said, “By the time we were expecting Rebecca, the Grammas were having fits!”

After 18 hours on a plane with a ten-month-old (!) they landed in San Diego, but they didn’t stay in CA long. Ralph heard of a teaching job in Pinedale, came for an interview, and fell in love with the country. “The rest is history,” Nancy said. Ralph taught for 2 years in Pinedale. Then he began a 30-year career as a mechanic – jack-of-all-trades. Their 3rd child, Amy, was born after Ralph became a mechanic. Their son Matthew and his wife, Alane, have blessed Ralph & Nancy with 2 grandchildren: Talia and Jayden. Ralph now works at Pinedale Lumber. Nancy said, “Our Christian influence as children was our family’s inheritance. We need the church to help us grow and to fellowship together. It is the reinforcement of our faith in the Lord Jesus. It is our stability”.

Printed in Pinedale (WY) Bible Church Newsletter, Sept, 2006.

By Judi Myers