Doris Frances Donovan Perreault was born in New Albany, Indiana, to George and Frances Donovan on September 22, 1929. After a childhood spent in New Albany and in Parkersburg, West Virginia, she attended Indiana University, graduating with a degree in Education. Immediately after graduation, she embarked on an ambitious bicycle tour of Europe with a group of friends. It was an exciting and life-changing event preparing her for future adventures once she was married. After a summer filled with memories, she returned home to family and friends in Memphis, Tennessee, where she taught first grade for two years before she met her future husband.Doris and Ernest met on January 18th, 1953, in Memphis.