Christie's Background

I come from a tight-knit family of musicians: Clarence "Woody" Wood Jr. (Dad), Mary Wood (Mom), myself, Candis (sister), and Standley (brother). My mother (deceased) was a music educator (band director in public schools). My father (deceased) was a music instrument repairman and working musician, who owned his own music business and played in various bands and orchestras all his life. My sister served in the Air Force Band of the Golden West for 21 years (retired). My brother (deceased) followed in my father's footsteps, becoming a music instrument repairman, and playing in various bands and orchestras. We all attended the University of North Texas; and we all majored in music. I met my husband at UNT and we were married in 1989. He is also a musician!

I was raised in a Southern Baptist family in the heart of a deeply-racist city in the 1960s & 70s. At this time, my church was strictly segregated as a whites-only church. The conflicts between my own beliefs of following Christ's teachings, and what segregation taught lead me to leave the Baptist faith, and search for a more tolerant form of Christianity. Eventually, I joined an ELCA Lutheran church when my husband and I lived in Pennsylvania. When we moved to Denton, Texas, we became members of First United Methodist Church of Denton, where we continue to worship to this day. But I uphold my strong belief in separation of church & state, and defend everyone's right to worship or not worship as they are led.