Pam Refior

Bookkeeper and Office Assistant

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Precious Pam Refior loves the Lord, loves her husband, loves her daughters and their husbands, loves her eight grandchildren and her granddaughter-in-law, loves her friends … and she loves life. Her husband states (repeatedly) and he really means it, “Precious Pam is the sweetest person I have ever met in my life, and I get the wonderful blessing and privilege of living with her.”

Pam was born in Kokomo, Indiana and lived on a farm in Howard County, Indiana during her early years. Pam grew up in the loving home of E. J. and Shirley Petro, along with her brother Tim, who is four years her junior. Her family moved to Bettendorf, Iowa where Pam spent her junior high and high school years. During high school she was active in many activities, including student government and wrestling cheerleading. She loved horses and when her parents moved back to the farm in Indiana, she was able to finally have horses of her own.

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Pam entered Iowa Wesleyan College in the fall of 1968 where she earned her degree in elementary education in the spring of 1972, with a teaching certificate. During college she met and married her husband, Paul Refior (“Rafe”) and their first daughter, Nikki Jo, was born.

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Following college graduation Rafe was off to law school at the University of Iowa. At that time there was a glut of teachers in Iowa City and there were no teaching positions available. Therefore, Pam took a very difficult job in a factory where she worked as the primary breadwinner for the family during the three years of law school. After some time of sweating on the injection molding machine she was promoted to the lab where she thoroughly enjoyed the work. Rafe had been sworn in as a Naval officer in 1974, and all summer of 1974 he was on temporary duty at Newport away from Precious Pam and Nikki. Then the flurry of the last year of law school, studying for the bar exam, passing the bar exam and preparing for all three to return to Naples for Naval justice School (Precious Pam being pregnant)

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It was on October 31, 1976 – during the Navy years in Norfolk, Virginia – when Pam placed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ and she became a true Christian. Her husband had received the Lord the previous year on January 19, 1975. Therefore, in 1976 the Refiors became an equally-yoked Christian family, and Precious Pam embraced her roles as a Christian wife and mother. Those Navy years were quite important as Pam received excellent instruction at Tabernacle Church of Norfolk, including the significant teachings of her mentor, Helena Garrick. It was shortly after arriving at Norfolk that Pam gave birth to their second daughter, Laura Marie.

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Pam and her family moved from Virginia to the mountains of Wyoming where they spent two years in Pinedale, Wyoming. The grandeur of God’s creation, the beauty of God’s landscapes and the wildlife were all very wonderful. At 7200 feet, Pinedale had an unusually long winter and there was snow cover for most of the year.

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When the Refiors accepted an unexpected invitation to do missionary work in Japan, Pam took on the important roles of missionary, English teacher to Japanese students, evangelistic cooking class leader, and home school teacher, on top of her duties as wife and mother.

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Then it was back to Indiana and the humble start of Refior Law Office in Warsaw in 1981 (we were broke, had no clients, were not listed in the yellow pages, did not own a car or even a typewriter). Initially Pam was the receptionist and bookkeeper and the do-anything-else helper for the fledgling law firm. As the firm grew and other staff was added, Pam’s duties were reduced to bookkeeper and sometimes go-fer. Pam continues to be the bookkeeper of Refior Law Office to this very day- more than 40 years later.

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Warsaw, Indiana was a very good place to raise their daughters, Nikki and Laura. Both Nikki and Laura graduated from Warsaw Community High School. Pam was active for many years at Pleasant Bible Church. She served with her husband for ten years as the leaders of the children’s program (first called “Olympians” and then called “ACTION”). Then Pam served with her husband as teachers of the second grade Sunday School class for the next nine years. Pam’s other activities included Christian Women’s Club, Band Boosters and Choir Boosters. For many years her schedule revolved around the kids’ activities, including athletics, cheerleading, band, choir, band competitions, choral competitions, girls’ piano lessons, the kids’ braces, family outings, family trips and church activities. When the girls graduated from high school they both attended Cedarville College in Ohio (now named Cedarville University), so trips to Ohio were added to the already busy schedule, during those years before their graduations.

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Precious Pam and her husband Rafe have thoroughly enjoyed their grandchildren (eight of them – from 26 years old, down to 12 years old). During the years that the Refiors owned a condo in Naples, Florida, Pam enjoyed the beach, bike rides, wonderful restaurants and the warm weather Florida provides. In 2006 Pam and Rafe purchased a 13 acre “farm” near Lafayette, and a branch office of Refior Law Office was opened in Lafayette. That allowed Rafe and Pam to be with Nikki and her gang every weekend and to join and become active at Faith Church in Lafayette. Then 12 years later, in 2018, they concluded that as they were getting older they should do the same thing with Laura and her family. So they sold the farm and bought a home in Carmel, Indiana, located less than 10 minutes from Laura’s home and 5 minutes from their new church -Harvest Church in Carmel. So, they still continue to enjoy two hometowns: Warsaw, Monday through Thursday, and Carmel, Friday through Sunday.

Precious Pam and Rafe have had a string of physical/medical challenges. But except for the things that are wrong with us, we are in really great shape and full of gusto. Precious Pam and Rafe are having the time of their lives, are more blessed by God that anyone could imagine, and they are very, very thankful to the Lord. … and, yes, they ARE still on their Honeymoon !

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