Wanda Arlene Anders was born on July 17, 1933, to Henry and Nettie Raetz and spent the first years of her life at Elm Springs, South Dakota, with her parents and five siblings. On September 21, 1949, she married Ron Anders in Sturgis, SD. They worked various jobs, eventually making their home at Union Center in 1956, operating a successful trucking company. In the early years, she was the voice on the phone, booking loads and keeping things organized.