Born in Greenville, Texas, not too far from Tyler, but raised in small west Texas towns, Ann married someone who also loved to travel, eventually living overseas and traveling throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Returning to the states in the 1980s to work in Houston, she attended the University of St. Thomas at night, earning an MBA in marketing. A friend had moved to Tyler, and when Ann decided to search for that final home in which to eventually retire, she invited Ann to visit.