Mary Lou Crump Koehler grew up in Shallowater Texas. She received her B.S. degree in home economics from Texas Tech University. While she was serving as Home Economic Director for the Honolulu Gas Company in Hawaii, McCall's Magazine chose her as one of five to receive the American Gas Association Home Service Achievement Award. Since returning to the mainland, she and her husband, Dr. David L. Koehler, have made their home in Portland Oregon with their two daughters. Mary Lou taught cooking lessons at the YWCA and wrote a cookbook, Son-of-a-Gun to Sukiyaki. She enjoyed being a 4-H leader for 19 years, raised Polled Hereford cattle, volunteered at Leach Botanical Garden, and shared their home with students from Mexico, Japan, Spain, and Panama.