Kay Goebel

Early life

Goebel was born in Glendive, Montana and grew up on her parents' wheat and cattle ranch, where she developed a love of horseback riding. When she was 11 years old, Goebel and her family moved to Boise, Idaho where her mother's family lived. Goebel attended a very small high school with a graduating class of 17. After high school, Goebel attended a junior college that later became Boise State University. She transferred to and earned her first degree in food and nutrition from Oregon State University.

Goebel married her late husband, Harry, in 1951. He was in the oil business and the young couple moved around a lot early in their marriage. During the first seven years of their marriage, they had five children and eventually moved south in the mid-1950s. In 1967, the family moved to Oklahoma City where they have lived ever since. Goebel went on to earn her master's degree in teaching and teaching certificate from Oklahoma City University. She got a job teaching at the school of her youngest son. Goebel soon after earned her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Oklahoma.