thomas james olmsted was born in oketo, kansas and his parents names were pat olmstead and helen olmsted. he also has two brothers and three sisters. he was raised on a farm in a city called beattie, and attended school high school in a town called summerfield. he then studied religion at a school called st. thomas aquinas seminary in a city called denver, in a state called colorado, where he obtained a college degree called a "bachelor of arts." the degree he earned was in the subject of philosophy in 1969.