Cris was born in Baker, Oregon, in the same hospital where her father, a small-town doctor, tended to his patients.
She was a rambunctious child, filled with an abundance of energy that her parents tried to channel into tap dancing, swimming, piano, baton twirling, and a host of other activities.
Although she always gave a humble account of her academic talents, Cris was a straight-A student, at least in the fall. (Kids in her family…