Tuhia he tohutoro mō tēnei wāhanga - I whānau a Verna Felton ki Salinas, California, i te Hōngongoi 20, 1890. Ko tana papa, ko Horace W. Felton, he taote, i mate i mua tata o tana huritau iwa. I a ia e tirotiro ana i ana kaute i muri i tona matenga, i kitea e Clara Felton (née Lawrence) te whaea o Felton ahakoa he nui te mahi hauora a tana tahu i San Jose, kaore he rekoata mo nga utu a ana tuuroro mo te maimoatanga kaore he moni i te tari. I mua tata i te matenga o tona papa, i mahi a Felton i roto i te painga o te rohe mo nga patunga o te waipuke o Galveston
He aha? Ko tana waiata me tana kanikani i aro atu ki te kaiwhakahaere o tetahi kamupene whakaaturanga ara i te wa e purei ana i San Jose i taua wa. I kōrero te kaiwhakahaere ki te whaea o Felton, e tuku ana ki a Felton he mahi i roto i tana kamupene. I te mea e raru ana te whanau i nga wa ohanga na te ngaronga o te papa o Felton, ka whakapā atu tona whaea ki te kaiwhakahaere o te whakaaturanga haerenga. I uru wawe a Felton ki te kaiwhakaari o te whakaaturanga, i tipu ake i te whare tapere.