Klemesrud attended the University of Iowa from 1958 until she graduated in 1961. She later went to Columbia University to attend the School of Journalism. While attending the University of Iowa, she worked as an editor at "The Daily Iowan". She then spent 4 years as a reporter for the "Chicago Daily News". She worked at "The New York Times" from 1966 until her death in 1985. She also wrote for such magazines as: "Esquire", "Cosmopolitan", "Ladies' Home Journal", "Redbook", and "The New York Times Magazine".