The granddaughter of a West Texas farmer, Patty learned to love the land at an early age and that affection has never abated. Moving to Kansas as a newlywed, she was captivated by her first experience of the Flint Hills. It felt like discovering a very old and primeval place of extraordinary beauty.
She spent her early years in Kansas in a city, a new and sometimes dazzling experience for a girl from a small town.
The historical structures, with their stories and architecture, fascinated her, but it was the land that continued to call.
Whether in the country or in a city neighborhood, Patty saw the skill and determination of those who had created structures and landscapes that served basic needs but never neglected beauty. The need for preserving this authenticity compelled her to complete project after project.
Eventually she found her way back to the Flint Hills, the place she had always admired. Patty’s involvement in Symphony in the Flint Hills, The Nature Conservancy, the restoration of a family homestead in Wabaunsee County, and The Volland Foundation have grown from the connection she has felt to the land for as long as she can remember.