Jolene Buxton was born at her parents home on a farm near Vale, Oregon (very close to the Idaho border, about 60 miles from Boise). She attended school in Vale, graduating from Vale High School. She attended Brigham Young University, obtaining her degree, cum laude, in elementary education. After graduation, she taught school in West Valley City, Utah.

She married Jonathan Reed (me) in 1980 and spent a year in Korea while I was in the Air Force. Our son, Daniel, was born in at the army installation in Seoul on May 4, 1981. We returned to the states and lived in San Angelo, Texas in the fall of 1981. In Jan 1983 we were back in Provo where I finished my degree at BYU. Our daughter, Lauren, was born there on July 24, 1984 (while Utah was celebrating Pioneer Day).

After my graduation, we lived in Midland, TX, El Paso, TX, Artesia, NM, and finally moved to Albuquerque, NM where we have lived about the last 8 years. Jolene taught school in each of these cities.

While living in Albuquerque and teaching in the Rio Rancho School District, Jolene decided to get her master's degree at the University of New Mexico. She went to school in the evenings for several years, obtaining the degree in 1997.

She also began to get involved in reading programs. For the 1998-1999 school year, she had the chance to become involved in the Reading Recovery probram which was being adopted by the Rio Rancho School District. She accepted this opportunity with the understanding that she would teach in a normal classroom for 1/2 day and do Reading Recovery the other 1/2 day.. Shortly after the school year began, however, she had the chance to work in the District Literacy Program for the other 1/2 day, which she accepted, so she spent 1/2 her time on Reading Recovery and 1/2 her time on the Rio Rancho School District's literacy progam. She has the same schedule for 1999-2000.

In the summer of 1999 she also had the chance to team teach a class at New Mexico Highlands University (with the Rio Rancho District Literacy Coordinator). She enjoyed this and is team teaching another class for them this fall (1999).

She is thoroughly enjoying her work with the Rio Rancho School District and New Mexico Highlands University. She is also feeling a bit of the empty nest syndrom (as also am I) since Danny has left for his freshman year at BYU. Her days are busy with home, school and church activities, but, as has always been the case, in whatever she is doing, she is superb.