Elmer Jesse Sowder was born on January 4, 1923, in Amarillo, Texas. Elmer married Jeanie on February 14, 1996, and they had four children: Carol, Cheryl, Kerry, and Kay.

Sowder attended Texas A & M College and was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Sowder worked as a test director for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in affiliation with the Nevada Test Site.