[1] She was born in Springfield, Livingston Parish, Louisiana, to Maria Louisa (née Dolan[2]) and Blasingaim Spiller.
[5] A collapse of her husband's rice-farming business caused the family to move to Baton Rouge.
[1] She matriculated at Louisiana State University (LSU), studying while her small children were at the parochial school nearby.
[3] She specialised in the legal fields of mineral rights, community property, and domestic relations.
She received a Distinguished Service citation from the School of Social Welfare at Louisiana State University, and co-founded the Family Court in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.