The Ringers

Sue Atkins started ringing handbells in the late 1980s and joined the James River Ringers in 1999.  She is also active as an on-call substitute for churches throughout the metro area.  Through her affiliation with JRR, Sue participated in two AGEHR Area III Bronze Conference Choirs, attended the national Pinnacle event in 2002, and has rung at Distinctly Bronze since 2003.  In her other life, Sue has been a Human Resources professional for more than twenty years.  She met her husband, David, an elementary music teacher, on the college marching band practice field. Their son, Brian, is following in his parents' footsteps – he plays tuba in his high school band.

Karen Bowles is back with the James River Ringers after a two-year hiatus. She has two sons, ages 10 and 13, and teaches Veterinary Science full-time. She has many different and interesting pets, including a Chinese Chipmunk! Karen has been playing handbells since 1997, with no end in sight!

Ann Clarke has been with James River Ringers almost continually, since its first year and currently serves on the Board as a Member-At-Large.  She has enjoyed seeing the group grow and reach out to the community in various ways.  She is working to restore her "mid-century" home using "traditional Richmond" resources.

Cathy Curfman does not remember exactly how long she has been ringing handbells -- time flies when you are ringing! (Okay, it is somewhere between 12 and 15 years!)  With her previous handbell experience limited to a church choir, Cathy has loved the new challenges of ringing with The James River Ringers.  Cathy is a part-time library assistant, a mother of three children (post-college, college and high school) and a wonderful wife to her husband of 27 years.

Sharon Freude has been a member of James River Ringers since December 2006 and currently serves as the choir's President.  She recently retired from serving as a fulltime church musician, her career since her teenage years.  During that time, she played organ and directed choral and handbell choirs and instrumentalists.  She enjoyed participating in advanced handbell choir workshops.  Still active as a free-lance substitute musician, she also sings in the Richmond Symphony Chorus, is currently chairperson of the board for Leadership Program for Musicians, serves on the American Guild of Organists Handbell Festival Committee, and teaches organ and piano.  She and her husband Ken bring their youngest grandson to weekly Kindermusik classes and enjoy musical activities with their other grandson and granddaughters whenever possible. 

Cara Griggs joined the James River Ringers in August 2002 and has served as the choir's Secretary since January 2003.  She began ringing with a church youth choir at age 13 and participated in her first quintet one year later.  In addition to ringing with the James River Ringers, she also rings with a church choir.  Cara enjoys her always-interesting career as an archivist.

Matt Spangler has been ringing with the James River Ringers off and on for the past ten years.  He has recently decided to serve on the board as a Member-at-Large and is excited about the future of this group.  Matt is the Director of Music and Christian Education for Westover Hills United Methodist Church and this year celebrated twenty years of service to this congregation.

Jo Ann Youhas has has been ringing with the James River Ringers since 2006.  She has served the organization as President and has served multiple terms as Treasurer.  During her over 30 years of ringing handbells, she has attended AGEHR Area II, Area III, National, and local festivals, and has rung in Donald Allured’s Annual Week of Handbells in Bay View, Michigan since 2006.  She  is retired and lives in  Williamsburg, Virginia.  Besides ringing bells, she enjoys golfing, gardening, and being with her three grandchildren.