Wilma Daugherty was born in East Palestine, Ohio. She was one of seven children growing up in a household surrounded by books and music. After graduating from high school in Alliance, Ohio, she attended Grove City College in western Pennsylvania. There, she met her husband Bill. They were married for fifty years.

A graduate of Bowling Green State University, she has two children, two grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Wilma has been a gifted storyteller her whole life, and a writer for nearly as long.