Patsy Vance bio

Patrice "Patsy" Huff was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 4, 1976, to Lewis and Ronda Huff. Lewis, known to family and friends as "Lou," was an electrician, and Ronda was a tax preparer based in the historic neighborhood of Lockeland Springs. 

The Huffs had three children. Paul, who was born in 1972, became a dentist across the border in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Pearce, born in 1974, displayed his father's aptitude in construction and went happily into the trades. 

Patsy, the youngest of the Huffs, was constantly overshadowed by her big brothers and acted out in elementary school to get her parents' attention. Her behavior got her in trouble in school but never provoked the reaction she anticipated from her parents, especially Lou, who was too busy watching his boys play ball to worry about what Patsy was doing.

When Patsy started smoking in middle school, her mother finally took notice and tried to strengthen their mother-daughter relationship by spending more time with her. Lou was still indifferent.

When Patsy began her high school years at Maplewood High in East Nashville, her grades played second fiddle to her smoking, drinking, and a newfound interest in the boys. This latter revelation finally caught Lou's attention. He immediately removed Patsy from Maplewood and enrolled her in the Shepherd and the Lamb Christian school for her junior and senior years.

At the Shepherd and the Lamb, Patsy was welcomed in by the school's student ambassador, Preston Vance, who immediately took a liking to the oft-delinquent newcomer. As Preston showed Patsy the ropes, she was drawn to his confidence and charisma. By the Christmas of 1993, the two were a steady couple.

Since the Shepherd and the Lamb was across the city in the Acklen Westgrove neighborhood, Lou and Ronda didn't interact much with the school or its affiliated church. This arrangement made Preston the greatest influence in Patsy's life at the time, which was likely the reason Patsy accepted Preston's marriage proposal in 1994, despite the fact that both were still in school.

Preston and Patsy were married in the summer of 1995. From the start, it was clear that the 1 Corinthians 14 directive that wives "be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord" applied in the Vance household, and Patsy dedicated herself to being the best housewife and mother she could be. The couple moved to Senatobia, Mississippi, where Preston pursued a post-secondary education while Patsy took care of baby Emma, born in 1996.

Two years later, the Vances moved to Batesville, Mississippi. In 2004, Jessilee was born, and Patsy's mother moved in for a month to help with the new baby. Ronda encouraged Patsy to study to become an accountant since she'd always been good with numbers, and more women were entering the field. Patsy told her that tax prep was not in her future because she was too busy caring for her family and volunteering at church. Besides, Preston wouldn't have it.