. ▁ ▁Early ▁years ▁ ▁Born ▁B ess ie ▁De R oss ▁in ▁Oklahoma , ▁she ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁Den ver , ▁CO ▁from ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁nine . ▁She ▁married ▁Harold ▁Clark ▁while ▁still ▁in ▁high ▁school ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁daughter , ▁S omm ona ▁Rose , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 . ▁She ▁moved ▁to ▁Chicago ▁for ▁several ▁years , ▁then ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁with ▁her ▁husband , ▁finding ▁office ▁work ▁at ▁Radio ▁City ▁Music ▁Hall , ▁and ▁divor ced ▁him ▁not ▁long ▁after ▁a ▁cross - country ▁b icy cle ▁trip ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁She ▁was ▁briefly ▁married ▁to ▁James ▁White . ▁ ▁The ▁West ▁and ▁the ▁Grand ▁C any on ▁ ▁Georg ie ▁and ▁her ▁daughter ▁were ▁close ▁compan ions ▁after ▁her ▁divor ce ▁from ▁Clark , ▁eng aging ▁in ▁out door ▁activities ▁such ▁as ▁mountain ▁and ▁rock ▁clim bing , ▁ski ing , ▁sk ating , ▁and ▁b icy cling . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁her ▁ 1 5 - year - old ▁daughter ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁a ▁hit - and - run ▁driver ▁while ▁b icy cling . ▁She ▁took ▁to ▁h ik ing ▁in ▁the ▁desert ▁with ▁a ▁friend , ▁Harry ▁A les on . ▁They ▁found ▁in ▁one ▁another ▁what ▁author ▁David ▁Lav ender ▁calls ▁a ▁mut ual ▁sed ation ▁for ▁the ▁lon ely , ▁rest less ▁quest ing ▁that ▁was ▁e ating ▁out ▁their ▁ins ides . ▁Harry ▁had ▁recently ▁fallen ▁in ▁love ▁with