Marilyn Applegate grew up in the small town of Pendleton, Oregon, with a front-row seat to the unfolding story of Harris Pine Mills, where her father worked as manager for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Her own journey through adolescence and young adulthood was intimately tied to the fascinating story of Harris Pine Mills. Today Marilyn lives with her husband, Rodney, and two opinionated wire fox terriers in Walla Walla, Washington.