ʃiː wʌz wˈʌn ʌv tˈɛn tʃˈɪldɹən bˈɔːɹn tə dʒˈɑːn wˈɔltɚ də vˈoːɹ ænd mˈɛɹi ˈɛmə stɹˈʌðɚ ɡˈɪvɪŋ dɪvˈoːɹ ɐ mˈɪkst ˈænsɛstɹi ʌv dʒˈɜːmənɐmˈɛɹɪkən, ˈæfɹɪkənɐmˈɛɹɪkən, ænd tʃˈɛɹoʊkˌiː.
She was one of ten children born to John Walter DeVore and Mary Emma Strother giving Devore a mixed ancestry of German-American, African-American, and Cherokee.