 Katz was born in San Francisco, California, to Emanuel Katz (who was born in Missouri), who worked in advertising, and Hanna Gunst Katz (who was born in Talberton, Georgia), both Jewish of German descent.She had one brother, Sidney (born 1874), who followed his father in advertising.By 1910, Sidney and his father were living in Chicago, while Adele and her mother were living at 308 McDonough Street in Brooklyn, New York.