McLemore was born in 1927 in Anadarko, Oklahoma. Her mother was Wichita and her father was European-American. McLemore was raised by her fullblood Wichita maternal grandparents, and Wichita was her first language.Somby, Liv Inger, published USA: The Last to Speak Wichita Language. Gáldu. (retrieved 3 Oct 2009)
