When Marie Elizabeth Adkins was born on 14 September 1894, in Henderson, Henderson, Kentucky, United States, her father, John Ellsworth Adkins, was 32 and her mother, Mary Elizabeth Schneider, was 37. She had at least 2 sons and 1 daughter with Garrett Bell James. She lived in Youngstown, Mahoning, Ohio, United States for about 5 years and Wilmette, Cook, Illinois, United States in 1940. She died on 12 July 1984, in Santa Ana, Orange, California, United States, at the age of 89, and was buried in Ripley, Union Township, Brown, Ohio, United States.