ʃiː wʌzðə jˈʌŋɡɪst dˈɔːɾɚɹ ʌv dʒˈɑːn dʒoʊsˈaɪəɹ ˈɛmɚɹi wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi fˈaɪv nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪt, ɐ ɹˈiːəlᵻstˈeɪt mˌɪliənˈɛɹ, ænd hɪz wˈaɪf, ðə fˈɔːɹmɚ lˈɛlə ɐmˈiːliə ˌælɪɡzˈændɚ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɛvən nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti θɹˈiː, dˈɔːɾɚɹ ʌv dʒˈɛnɚɹəl tʃˈɑːɹlz tˈiː. ˌælɪɡzˈændɚ, ʌv wˈɑːʃɪŋtən.
She was the youngest daughter of John Josiah Emery (1835–1908), a real-estate millionaire, and his wife, the former Lela Amelia Alexander (1867–1953), daughter of General Charles T. Alexander, of Washington.