Gwenneth Thede Hinz '45    Biography

Born in Osaka, Japan, of missionary parents, Gwenneth attended ASIJ from second grade through eight, when in April of 1941 she, her mother, and brothers returned to the United States fearing war between the two countries. Just prior to the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7th of 1941, her father arrived in the U.S. as well. Gwenneth attended high school in Fergus Falls, MN and graduated in 1945. She attended North Central College in Naperville, IL for two years in the pre-nursing program, and then transferred to the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago. Upon receiving her R.N., having married during her last year of study, she moved to Wauwatosa, WI with her husband, Larry Hinz.

Five children were born to them. In 1965 they moved to Wautoma, WI where they were employed full-time at Camp Lucerne by the then Evangelical United Brethren Church...he to coordinate programs, she as a nurse. Several years after the denomination merged with the Methodists, forming the United Methodist Church, a shifting of structure eliminated the positions and the family moved to Cedarburg, WI.

It was there that Gwenneth joined a newly formed writers' group, improving her writing skills, and met Jacob Segraves, whose stories, after his death, she edited and compiled, resulting in the book, Of Coal and Cornbread: Angels and Ha'nts. She has several short articles published in magazines, as well as a children's book, Hidden Treasures.

She now resides in Lomira, WI where she directs the music program and is otherwise actively involved in the local United Methodist Church.