er ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁at ▁Fort ▁Wayne , ▁Indiana , ▁where ▁her ▁pat ernal ▁grand father , ▁Frederick ▁No erd ling er ▁N ird ling er ▁( 1 8 1 0 – 1 8 7 3 ), ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁sett lers ▁and ▁the ▁city ' s ▁most ▁noted ▁phil anth rop ist . ▁She ▁had ▁six ▁sib lings : ▁Samuel ▁Lam bert ▁( 1 8 7 1 – 1 9 0 2 ), ▁Mau de ▁Louise ▁( 1 8 7 2 – 1 9 7 1 ), ▁Eli ▁Frederick ▁( 1 8 7 4 – 1 8 7 5 ), ▁Clar ence ▁Daw son ▁( 1 8 7 6 – 1 9 5 0 , ▁married ▁Mar ion ▁H oll way ), ▁Maxim ilian ▁( 1 8 8 1 – 1 9 6 6 , ▁married ▁Els ie ▁Florence ▁Hoff ner ▁and ▁Ad ela ide ▁E . ▁Ernst , ▁an ▁architect ▁of ▁note ▁in ▁Philadelphia ), ▁Albert ▁Patrick ▁Gabriel ▁( 1 8 8 7 – 1 9 5 2 , ▁married ▁Nell ie ▁Turner ). ▁ ▁N ird ling er ▁attended ▁a ▁convent ▁school ▁in ▁Mil w au kee , ▁and ▁purs ued ▁post - grad uate ▁studies ▁in ▁Liter ature ▁at ▁Dre x el ▁University ▁in ▁Philadelphia . ▁ ▁Business ▁career ▁N ird ling er ▁began ▁her ▁business ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁as ▁a ▁solic itor ▁for ▁a ▁well - known ▁advert ising ▁company