Olene was born in Kinston, North Carolina and attended schools there through the University of Eastern Carolina, where her major was chemistry and biology. She worked one year as a chemist before she went to Scarritt College, where she received her M. A. in Christian Education. She worked in Christian Education in the South Carolina Conference from 1957-1984.
She served in the following
churches: Central in Spartanburg, Buncombe Street in Greenville,
First in Myrtle Beach, Central in Florence and Trinity in
Greenville. She then attended Duke Divinity School, graduating
with a Master of Divinity. She was ordained in 1985. Olene served
as pastor of the following churches: Bethel in Walterboro,
Wesleyan Memorial in Chester, Bethel in Rock Hill, from where she
retired. Since retirement she has been living in Mt. Pleasant,
which is across the bridge from Charleston. There she has worked
as associate pastor for three years. Now she is retiring again
and plans to arrive permanently at Brooks-Howell Home about
October 1, 1999. She has been active in and an officer of the Deaconess Association and on the National Committee of Deaconesses. She was active in the Christian Educators’ Fellowship on the local and conference level.