Saffels was born in Moline, Kansas, on August 13, 1921 [REF].
Upon returning to the United States, Saffels graduated from Emporia State Teachers College (later Emporia State University) in 1947 with a B.A. degree in history and business, and from Washburn University School of Law, with a J.D. cum laude, in August 1949 [REF].