As a child Dean attended the First Baptist Church in Wetumpka where she was baptized at age 12. Later she found new life in Christ through the ministry of E. Stanley Jones during an Ashram in 1960. Since then the Bible has been her favorite book. She also enjoys reading historical novels and mysteries.
Inspired by the teaching of her friend Estelle Carver, Dean became a gifted teacher of the holy scriptures. Out of the pain and joy of her own life, she relates the promises of God to the ordinary experiences of life.
Poetry has been a delightful outlet for Dean to express her rich insights about life. In her book, The Yellow Butterfly (available from Amazon.com), she shares some of her spiritual discoveries in poetry and prose, insights growing out of her faith journey.
Mother of five sons, 12 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren, Dean became deeply committed to missionary outreach during a trip around the world visiting United Methodist missionary work in 26 countries. She has served on Mission Work Teams in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Africa. She and her husband have made three trips to Zambia, the last one when she was 80 years old.
Dean and her husband Walter, now pastor emeritus of Saint James Church, live at The Cabin in Elmore County near Wetumpka, AL.
