Jeremiah David Wright Hoggard was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on November 25, 1914. As a child, his parents would take him to National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) meetings, and he joined the organization before serving in the United States Air Force during World War II. In 1945, he was transferred to Nellis Air Force Base. By the next year, Hoggard moved to Las Vegas, Nevada with his two sons after being recently widowed.

Mabel Hoggard was the first licensed African-American educator in Nevada. Hoggard taught primarily first and second grade at various elementary schools throughout Clark County, Nevada from 1946 until her retirement in 1970. The schools she taught at included Westside Elementary, Matt Kelly Elementary, Highland Elementary, and C.V.T. Gilbert Elementary, all located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Marilyn Armstrong graduated high school and beautician school at the same time having attended beauty school from 2:00 until 9:00 or 10:00 in the evening. Her ambitious strides paid off with hair styling positions on the Strip at Caesars Palace, Miss Elizabeth's, and Under Your Hat prior to owning her own shop at Flamingo and Maryland Parkway. Her clientele included entertainers, high profile Las Vegas business owners, and locals from the Westside.