Elsie Gwyndolene Clough was born to Priscilla Pratt and William James Clough at the Las Vegas Gunnery School (now Nellis Air Force Base) where her father was stationed. She spent her youth in Crystal, Nevada where her parents operated a service station. Following her graduation from Moapa Valley High School she married Quent Perkins. The couple lived in Las Vegas, Nevada and operated Perkins Feed and Western Goods. They later retired and moved to Arizona. Following Quent’s death in 2000, Gwyn devoted herself to church and community service. She passed away in Panaca, Nevada in 2010.