About Notgrass History
Notgrass History exists to glorify God by producing materials centered in His Word that help parents train their children to honor God with heart, soul, and mind. Our team of homeschool parents and graduates work together to serve homeschooling families across the country and around the world. We'd love to help your family!
If you're thinking about homeschooling or need encouragement to keep homeschooling, please reach out by phone or email.
Our Story
We began homeschooling in 1990. We hung a bulletin board, displayed an American flag for the Pledge of Allegiance, and assembled our big stack of textbooks. By trying to recreate a public school in our basement, homeschooling quickly came to feel like a big, heavy sack of rocks.
Our homeschooling experience was transformed when we made homeschooling who we were instead of a burden. We carefully chose some curriculum, and we did a lot of lifestyle learning together. We took art lessons. We went on lots of field trips. We volunteered. We read books aloud.
In 1999 we began to combine our homeschool experience with our love of history to develop Bible-based, easy-to-use homeschool curriculum. Our curriculum uses narrative lessons, original source documents, rich literature, and hands-on activities to help parents and children love history.
~Ray and Charlene Notgrass
Interview with Ray and Charlene Notgrass
Ray and Charlene Notgrass appeared on It's Your Business, a show on the WCTE PBS station hosted by Michael Aikens, to discuss how our business got started. You can see some behind-the-scenes photos and video clips. (Our segment runs from 11:23 to 21:30.)
Our Team Members
In addition to Notgrass family members, we have an amazing team who ship orders, answer customer questions, make videos, design
graphics, attend conferences, and help to develop curriculum! Use the left and right arrows to see profiles.
Ray Notgrass
Ray is a Christian and a veteran homeschooling dad. Ray is the president of our publishing company and a lead curriculum author.
Ray earned a bachelor's in history from Middle Tennessee State University, a master's in history from the University of Kentucky, and a master's in New Testament from Harding University. Before launching this business full-time, Ray was a campus minister and then a preaching minister for a total of twenty-two years. He served with churches in Mississippi, Illinois, and Tennessee.
Ray met Charlene while they were in college at Middle Tennessee State. They were married in 1974. Ray enjoys reading and listening to classic literature and biographies, traveling, spending time with his children and their spouses, and admiring his grandchildren, to whom he is "Notty." Ray is deeply in love with Charlene, the most wonderful person in the whole wide world.
Charlene 
Notgrass
Charlene is a Christian and a veteran homeschooling mom. Charlene received a bachelor's in urban planning from Middle Tennessee State University. She oversees curriculum development at Notgrass and is a lead curriculum author.
Charlene is the wife of the most wonderful man in the world. She has always loved being a mother and now relishes the role of mother-in-law and grandmother. She is proud of her grandma name, "Little." She enjoys working with children, especially in her annual role as assistant director for Mary Evelyn's historical dramas performed by homeschooled children.
Charlene loves to encourage homeschooling mothers, whether speaking at homeschool conferences, counseling mothers individually, or through her blog, Daily Encouragement for Homeschooling Mothers. Charlene enjoys reading, quilting, drawing, sewing, improving their old house, and spending time with Ray, her husband since 1974, and their growing family.
John 
Notgrass
John is a follower of Jesus Christ. He is thankful for the training his parents, Ray and Charlene Notgrass, gave him, and his goal is to be a great husband and father and a blessing to people.
John oversees business planning, manages the finances, and administers the website. He also works as a graphic designer for our company and travels to conferences and other events. John tells the stories of real people from history in first-person history presentations.
In his free time, John enjoys Euro-style board games and traditional English country and contra dancing. John and his family live near St. Louis, Missouri.
Mary Evelyn McCurdy 
Mary Evelyn was homeschooled by her parents, Ray and Charlene Notgrass. Mary Evelyn (most commonly called Mev) has been working with Notgrass since she was in high school. She primarily works in graphic design and curriculum development.
Mev enjoys writing and creating art in many forms. When she was fifteen she organized the Homeschool Dramatic Society, and since then she has produced an original historical musical drama each year with homeschooled students in Middle Tennessee. She thrives on writing scripts and songs and directing and choreographing the productions. In 2008 she and her mom took one of Mev's productions to Belize and directed school children there in a musical production for their community. Mev also enjoys writing and directing skits for children in their church.
Mev married Nate, the man of her dreams, in 2010. Mev has enjoyed homeschooling on both ends--first as a student and now as a parent!
Nate McCurdy 
Nate married Mev in April of 2010 and joined our business the following September. He manages our warehouse and contributes to graphic design. He has enjoyed traveling to homeschool conventions and getting connected with the homeschooling community through this work. He says it is the most fulfilling work he has ever done.
Nate grew up in Michigan and moved to Tennessee in 2000. His parents and most of his siblings followed him south. Nate enjoys spending time with family and has discovered that fatherhood suits him quite well.
Nate has a love for history and is particularly interested in the Civil War era. He enjoys working with his hands. He built a log cabin using logs from an old barn and other materials obtained from various structures that were being torn down. He has constructed numerous set and prop pieces for the Homeschool Dramatic Society. Nate constructed a working cannon that he fires on the Fourth of July. He likes to tinker and build and experiment with all sorts of interesting and surprising things.
Titus Anderson 
Titus joined Notgrass History in 2016 and began work as a warehouse associate. In 2017, he shifted his focus towards video production, and currently films and edits a variety of videos for Notgrass History. He also produces our podcast.
Titus has lived in Tennessee for his whole life, along with his parents and siblings. A homeschool graduate, he enjoyed years of learning in a local homeschool group that provided socialization, creative opportunities, and a group of supportive friends who feel like family. He participated in plays, musical programs, and graduations with the group. Titus married his lifelong friend and high school sweetheart Brettianee in 2015, and they welcomed their first child in 2018.
Titus enjoys spending time with his family, as well as playing music, having played the piano for over 15 years. He also enjoys leading the song service at his congregation, which he attends with his wife. Other activities include reading and listening to podcasts about history, language learning, and board games.
Josh Voorhees 
Originally from Oregon, Josh moved to Tennessee in 2014 and joined our team in 2016. He loves helping families find the Notgrass curriculum that works best for their children. Josh is especially excited for the students themselves, having experienced many curriculum struggles growing up.
Josh is thankful that his parents remained committed to serving the Lord and to homeschooling even when life was difficult financially. When not in the office he enjoys hiking, camping, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Donna Ellenburg 
Donna is a homeschooling mom who joined our team in 2016 to represent Notgrass History at homeschool conventions. When she is not at conventions, she works at the home office providing customer service.
Having taught her four children K-12th grades, Donna has vast experience in homeschooling. She told her husband (then a pastor), "I feel as God-called to homeschool our children as you do to preach!" Donna has truly enjoyed being a homeschool mom.
Donna loves to share her experience and insights to encourage other homeschool moms because she knows the joys and burdens of this important role. If you'd like to talk to another mom about homeschooling, please call Donna at 931-952-6566.
Phil Ellenburg 
Phil is a homeschooling dad who joined our team in 2016 to represent Notgrass History at homeschool conventions. He also works with our distributors.
Phil earned a bachelor's in religion from North Greenville University and a Masters of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served as a pastor for over 20 years.
Dena Russell 
Dena began homeschooling over 20 years ago. She loves sharing the wonder of God’s creation with her husband Randy and their three children. They love to travel and explore mountains, coasts, and caves.
Dena enjoys watching birds and furry critters in her native Maury County, Tennessee. She likes to celebrate the seasons and cook with herbs and vegetables from her backyard garden.
Dena has a bachelor’s in journalism from Middle Tennessee State University. She joined our team in 2019 as a research assistant and proofreader.
Ella Bourseton 
After moving to Tennessee from California in 2012, Ella performed in four Homeschool Dramatic Society plays.
Ella is a homeschool graduate and is very thankful for the godly training she received from her parents that nourished her love for God. She enjoys baking, quilting, painting, working with flowers, and being with family and friends.
Ella helps us develop new resources as a research assistant, proofreader, and fact-checker. She joined our team in 2020.
Bonnie Henthorn 
Bonnie is a veteran homeschool mom from West Virginia. After serving as the president of the public school board in her area, she began homeschooling her children in the 7th and 10th grades. She is known as a local resource for those who wish to know more about homeschooling in her state and has been active in legislative matters involving educational issues. Having used Notgrass History curriculum with her own children, she was excited to have the opportunity to join our team.
Bonnie hopes to support others and provide assistance and encouragement to those who wish to discover the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that homeschooling offers. She believes that homeschooling is central to building strong families grounded in the truth, while allowing children to discover their own talents and become who they were meant to be, without sacrificing academics.
Bonnie brought 30+ years of experience and a variety of skills from the corporate world to our team in 2021. She works with us as an administrative assistant, social media manager, and event coordinator.