A five-year-old Meckling, South Dakota, farm girl climbs up on the chair next to her mother. The church organ is playing a hymn and she begins to sing at the top of her lungs. Heads started turning and smiles broke out all around. This young girl grew up listening to great music and wonderful singing. She also loved to watch and listen to the birds sing their special songs. A dream was born to her to sing beautiful music also. This dream revealed her on-stage, singing the lead role in an opera with full orchestral accompaniment and costumes. This spectacle was surely unusual for one, who had never seen an opera performed. Young Ella June embarked on a blessed quest to reach her dream of singing opera in New York City.