 Bouck was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the second child of Lyle Joseph and Magdalen M. Bouck.His father, a Private First Class in the U.S. Army during World War I, was a carpenter and Bouck grew up during the Depression and moved frequently with his family.With four siblings, (Robert, Bernice, Eugene and John) they often lived in homes with only one bedroom and no indoor plumbing or electricity.