Lewis Whitley was born in Washington, Texas, but moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1946 to live with his grandfather. He met his wife June at the First Baptist Church in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and they married in 1955. They moved to a home in Las Vegas in 1958. He worked as a cook at the Nevada Test Site and was a a fire hydrant inspector for the Clark County Fire Department until his retirement in 2007.

Irmalee Anne Gray Ross was born December 23, 1938 to Irma Niles Gray and R. Guild Gray and was raised in Reno, Nevada. She married her husband, R. Ian Ross, on September 02, 1961. Gray Ross worked as a teacher at Las Vegas Day School and retired after 13 years.