 Kyle Elihu Onstott was born on January 12, 1887, in Du Quoin, Illinois.Although he never had a steady job, Onstott was from a wealthy family, and, living with his widowed mother in California in the early 1900s, was able to pursue his main hobby, that of a dog breeder and judge in regional dog shows, in lieu of any professional calling.Onstott was a lifelong bachelor, but at age 40, he chose to adopt a 23-year-old college student, Philip, who had lost his own parents.