Sammie has a BA in art from Berea College in Kentucky. As a sculptor, she works primarily in hardwood, using the figure and grain of the wood as an integral part of the design. She also likes to combine wood and found stones in mixed media pieces. Her work has been exhibited in numerous solo and juried shows in New England. Her sculptures are in private collections and municipal settings in over a dozen states as well as in Europe. Sammie is a juried member of the New England Sculptors Association.

Sammie was born and raised in Eastern Kentucky. Following education to become an Occupational Therapist she spent several years in Texas. While living in Texas she discovered New England while completing a hike from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail. As a result of that hike she met and married Dick Wakefield. They now live in an antique cape with an attached working studio, in a neighboring town.