▁board ing ▁field ▁workers ▁on ▁the ▁farm ▁while ▁Bac ilio ▁followed ▁the ▁cro ps ▁in ▁Id aho , ▁Wy oming , ▁Arizona , ▁and ▁Colorado . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁Cole man ' s ▁mother ▁C li of as ▁died ▁in ▁an ▁accident ; ▁Fran ▁was ▁six ▁years ▁old ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁After ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁death , ▁Cole man ' s ▁father ▁des per ately ▁tried ▁to ▁find ▁child care ▁for ▁his ▁children ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁away ▁working ▁the ▁cro ps , ▁she ph erd ing ▁or ▁working ▁for ▁the ▁rail road . ▁ ▁After ▁six ▁months ▁of ▁struggling , ▁Cole man ▁and ▁her ▁brother ▁David ▁eventually ▁went ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁her ▁a unt ▁and ▁uncle ▁for ▁stability . ▁Her ▁father ▁returned ▁from ▁season al ▁work ▁every ▁six ▁months ▁to ▁visit . ▁ ▁When ▁Cole man ▁was ▁a ▁junior ▁in ▁high ▁school ▁her ▁father ▁Bac ilio ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁hit ▁and ▁run ▁accident . ▁Fran ▁graduated ▁from ▁Valley ▁High ▁School ▁( G il c rest , ▁Colorado ) ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁as ▁an ▁honor ▁roll ▁student ▁and ▁received ▁the ▁Red mond ▁Sch olar ship . ▁ ▁Upon ▁gradu ation , ▁Cole man ▁moved ▁to ▁Den ver ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁Mountain ▁States ▁Tele phone ▁and ▁Te legraph ▁as ▁an ▁entry - level ▁cl erk . ▁She ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri ▁where ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁mother ▁of