Meet Our Honorees: Presbyterian Women Celebrates Five Faithful Women April 8
Every spring, Presbyterian Women of Village Church honors outstanding women who have made significant contributions to the church and the community. Meet this year’s honorees, and join us for the Celebration of Faithful Women 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 in Friendship Hall, Mission Campus. Registration is free: register now! All who identify as women are welcome.
Joy Biard
Joy Biard’s name reflects exactly who she is—she spreads joy wherever she goes. She has indeed inherited “Good Cheer.”
Joy is the daughter of Shirley and Rev. Dr. Bob Meneilly, the founding pastor of Village Presbyterian Church. She grew up in our church. When Joy was in high school at Shawnee Mission East, she worked in the church office on Saturdays.
Joy went to Fashion Merchandising College in Dallas. She also studied at Kansas University and graduated from Avila College with a BSN (nursing degree). Joy worked at Shawnee Mission Hospital (now named Advent Health) and at the Johnson County Health Department.
Later, when she and her husband Lee’s boys were young, Joy retired from health dept. to help raise them. She volunteered in Vacation Bible School and went on mission trips with the youth groups to the Dominican Republic. Eventually, Joy returned to nursing and served as an elementary school nurse for 13 years, where she influenced the lives of many young people. They lived in Seattle for a couple years, too.
Joy has contributed abundantly to Village Church with time and faithful service. She served on the committees of Children & Family Ministry, Community Life, Presbyterian Women, and Worship & Music. Joy has volunteered at an Art & Hors D’oeuvres Event, Ice Cream Socials, Village Nurses, the Food Pantry (currently 2-3 times each week and as a Board member), and has served as a Deacon and an Elder. Joy was also a Village Church wedding coordinator for 34 years.
Friends describe Joy as a devoted daughter, wife, mother, friend, and Christian. Her two sons are now 36 and 40. She is kind, compassionate, and has an abundance of good will.
Lisa Harrison
Lisa was born and raised in the north suburbs of Chicago where she attended another Village—the Village Presbyterian Church of Northbrook. Her parents were both very active in church, civic activities, and community leadership, and Lisa feels it was natural that she would gravitate toward a similar path. (For the past several years, both Lisa and her father have been serving on the Endowment Trust Boards of their respective churches.)
Lisa and her husband Tim met while attending the University of Kansas. They were married the summer after Lisa finished her student teaching. Lisa taught middle-school social studies for 15 years at Barstow and a couple of local Catholic schools before pivoting to a different, decade-long career as a magazine editor.
Lisa and Tim’s oldest son, Parker, lives in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works in the automotive design space. Their youngest, Davis, works as a financial planner in Overland Park and is active in Leawood Rotary.
As a member of the former Presbyterian Church of Stanley, Lisa served as a deacon, was a member of the bell choir, taught Sunday school and VBS, as well as serving on women’s retreat committees, organizing funeral receptions, and chaperoning mission trips.
When Lisa’s family joined Village, she was quickly recruited to join the sacristy committee. Soon Lisa was serving dinner at the beautiful Advent Celebration and signing up for The Feast retreat. In the formative, organizing years of Village on Antioch, Lisa served on the Coordinating Council and, years later, joined the staff at Antioch. Lisa took her civic involvement to the next level nine years ago when she was appointed to and later elected to serve on the Leawood City Council.
Lisa is a very active, outdoorsy person. She achieved her goal of walking some of the Appalachian Trail as well as the Camino de Santiago. However, she will say her most meaningful walks were two separate three-day, 60-mile walks—one from Boulder to Denver, Colorado, and one from Kenosha, Wisconsin, to downtown Chicago. Lisa completed the two Avon Breast Cancer three-day fundraising walks in memory of her mom, who died at age 50 after a three-year battle with the disease.
Lisa Harrison is one of many saints you’ll encounter at Village Church on Antioch.
Georgia Klein
There was no way to judge the big impact Georgia Klein would have on her church and community by the way she entered this world. Georgia was born two months early and weighed only 3 pounds. She was so tiny, she was placed in a shoe box in a dresser drawer on a hot water bottle. Her mother dressed her in doll clothes.
A native of Harrisonville, Missouri, and raised in Buffalo, Kansas, Georgia earned an education degree from Emporia State Teachers College. After working two years for the Methodist Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, Georgia started her teaching career in the Kincaid Colony School District in Kansas. She later moved to Kansas City, Kansas, to work as a teacher at the Teenage Mothers’ School, then Rosedale High School, and then Harmon High School. Georgia earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Kansas in the field of Special Education/Behavior Disorders. After ten years in Kansas City, she accepted a job with the Shawnee Mission School District (SMSD) as its coordinator of the secondary homebound program. Georgia retired from SMSD in 1997.
Georgia has been a member of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for more than 40 years. In 1992, she was one of 30 teachers from member countries chosen to attend the Golden Gift Leadership Training at the University of Texas for two weeks. She has served as Kansas State president 1995-97, as well as chaired the International Scholarship Committee and International Personal Growth & Services Committee. In 2012, Georgia was installed for a six-year term as a Trustee for the DKG Educational Foundation at the International Convention in New York City. She served as Vice-Chair of that committee the last two years.
A local history lover, Georgia worked as a guide at the Steamboat Arabia Museum for a year. Then she and a friend started a Country Club Plaza walking tour business, which operated for about 10 years.
Within the arts community, Georgia has been involved with the auxiliaries associated with the Kansas City Symphony. She was president of Symphony Women from 2004-2005. Georgia and Richard were members of the Friends of the Symphony. Georgia was president of that group from 2007-2008. When those two groups ended, Georgia and Richard joined the Kansas City Symphony Alliance. In addition, Georgia is a member of the Women’s Committee that supports the UMKC Conservatory students. She has been an advocate for a student the past six years.
Georgia joined Village Church in the 1980s. She says once she attended an evening Presbyterian Women’s group, she was hooked. Georgia has been a Circle 7 member for many years, including two as leader. Among her involvements at Village Church: The Especially for Women class, Christ Care, and Stephen Ministry. She married her husband Richard at Village Church and gained an adult stepson and his wife, and an adult stepdaughter and her husband. Now she has two grandchildren: Peter and Jennifer.
Georgia loves to travel, something that first began when she went on a church mission trip in her freshman year of college. The only state she hasn’t visited is Idaho. Europe has been her favorite spot with more than 27 trips with family and friends. Georgia also has been to Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, and Canada.
Susan Satterlee
For Susan Satterlee, Village Church has been a place for connection, fellowship, friendship, spiritual growth, and fun. When difficulties arise, she runs to the church. When she has something to celebrate, she wants to celebrate with her Village communities.
Susan was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Her family moved to Prairie Village in time for Susan to begin first grade at Ridgeview Elementary. Susan attended Village Church for the five years her family lived here before moving to Marshall, Missouri. While in high school in Marshall, Susan enjoyed being on the Pom-Pom squad and played in the band. She was involved in church as well as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Susan graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Physical Therapy. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
Eight months after graduation, Susan married her husband George. Together, the newlyweds attended Village Church. They got involved right away working with the senior-high youth group. They were Shepherd Deacons soon after that and took several classes. Susan and George were members of the then newly formed Young Marrieds Sunday school class that later became known as “Growing Together.” Susan and her husband also taught the senior-high Sunday school class for 10 years beginning around 1997.
Susan was trained as a leader for the ChristCare groups that formed at Village, served as a Stephen Minister, and became involved in Mission Sewing when the Thursday group was formed. In addition, Susan was involved in helping teach the spirituality course “The Feast” here at Village. She is on The Gathering team—helping to coordinate volunteers and communion servers for each Sunday and envision creative elements for the service. Susan has served on the Presbyterian Women board, including Spiritual Growth co-chair. She also has been involved in a “Book Buddies” program through Cornerstones of Care for around 15-20 years.
Susan’s hobbies are varied and included making cards for friends and family using paper, paint or fabric; sewing (especially little projects for her grandchildren); a good Bible study and fellowship; traveling, hiking and walking. And she loves animals.
Susan and George have two children—Andrew and Sarah—and four grandchildren: Caleb, Joanna, Graham and Claire. Susan will say she can’t tell her story without mentioning the difficult parts because they have had a big impact on who she is today. Her son, Andrew, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor 17 years ago when he was 20. That journey toward healing was long and terrible and beautiful. But Susan says it was a time that God showed up to lead, comfort, and hold up her family when things were hard and brought them through.
Susan will also say that Village Church showed up, too. Pastors and friends were there for her family as a beautiful community of care.
Marvie Sneegas
Village Church is lucky to have someone as talented and as giving as Marvie Sneegas. Sharing her amazing gifts as a musician and singer is just one of the ways Marvie has given back to Village Church.
Marvie, a native of Topeka, began taking piano lessons at the age of four. Even at that early age, her teacher could tell that music was going to be her talent and profession. As a youngster, Marvie won an audition to play a concerto with the Topeka Symphony. And even though her feet couldn’t reach the pedals, Marvie played the organ every Sunday morning at church until college. At Topeka High, she played the auditorium organ for all assemblies and was asked to play “Rhapsody in Blue” with the orchestra.
Marvie was offered a full scholarship to study music at the University of Kansas. While there, she played dozens of recitals, accompanied other singers, the KU Chorale, and the KU Chorus. This was when she began voice lessons. After graduating with a degree in music education, KU offered her a scholarship to return for a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance. Two years later, KU also asked her to return for a vocal performance master’s degree.
In 1960, she became friends with her future husband, Larry. The two were selected to go on a USO Tour as part of the ‘People to People’ Program. The group performed “Brigadoon” 35 times for the troops in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Guam, Okinawa, and Taipei, Taiwan. A romance bloomed. A week after Marvie earned her master’s in vocal performance, she married Larry. After Larry’s service in the U. S. Navy that included living in Honolulu, Larry and Marvie moved to the Kansas City area.
Marvie sang at several churches and began what became a 30-year career teaching voice at high schools—including Shawnee Mission West, East, and South. She also played for all the choral classes at Johnson County Community College, and for 25 years, the evening Johnson County Community Choir. During that same time, Marvie was the accompanist for the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, a founder of the Kansas City Chorale, whom she sang with for 18 years, did the piano work at the American Dance Center, and was music director of the Full Circle Theater.
Marvie was the soprano soloist at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for 18 years. When she resigned from that position, she began looking for a new church home. She was encouraged to visit Village through someone she knew in the music world, Mark Ball, former director of Village’s music ministry. Marvie says that choosing Village Church was a turning point in her life. Instead of being paid, she chose to give back to the church.
She sings in the Village Choir and is a ringer with the Village Bells. She has been an occasional pianist for choir rehearsals and Sunday services, and plays for memorials in the chapel, for gatherings such as the Celebration of Faithful Women, the Advent Celebration, the Food Pantry, and the Classic Citizens Celebration. Marvie was also the leader of Share a Song, a group of singers who provided music for worship services at senior-living centers.
Marvie’s involvement at Village hasn’t been limited to music. She served 10 years as the leader of Women of Wisdom and as the group’s representative on the PW Board, and on the Advent Celebration Committee. She is a member of Circle 7 and has served as their treasurer for 12 years.
Larry and Marvie have three children: Elisa, Brendan, and Alison, who have their own families. All told, there are nine grandchildren, two grandsons-in-law, two great grandbabies, and three serious girlfriends. Everyone lives in the Kansas City area.
