Elizabeth Sewall Charles was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 22, 1914. Her mother left Russia with Elizabeth in 1918, arriving in the United States in 1919. Elizabeth was adopted by her step-father Sumner Sewall, and became a naturalized citizen in 1936. Sumner Sewall was a member of the Sewall shipbuilding family of Bath, Maine. He became a distinguished American flyer during World War I, credited with the destruction of seven enemy planes and observation balloons, thus designating him an "ace" in war time. Following the First World War, he became a state senator and governor of Maine, and later served in the United States Office of Military Government in West Germany following World War II. Elizabeth Sewell Charles' great-grandfather, Arthur Sewall, was the vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket with William Jennings Bryant in the presidential election of 1897. Elizabeth Sewall Charles was a graduate of Vassar College in 1936. She attended the Julliard Foundation in New York City after graduation, performing in Carnegie Hall in 1937 for a Vassar Alumni Association benefit. She was an active member of New York City's Junior League and the Vassar Alumni Association. In St. Louis, she was involved in activities at the Ladue Chapel and the Veiled Prophet Ball. In July 1938, Elizabeth Sewall married Robert Horne Charles of St. Louis. He was the son of Benjamin Hynes Charles, Jr. of St. Louis and Nana Horne of Keokuk, Iowa. Benjamin Hynes Charles was a noted bond attorney and a St. Louis city counselor. Robert Horne Charles graduated from Yale law school, worked in private practice for two years, and joined the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis (later the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation) in 1940. He became a senior vice president in the firm before retiring in 1966. Robert and Elizabeth Charles had four children: Robert H. Charles, Jr.; Ellena; Sumner; and Candy.