 Ishbel Ross was born on December 15, 1895 in Bonar Bridge, Scotland, one of six children of David Ross and Grace (McCrone) Ross.She graduated from the Tain Royal Academy in 1916 and then emigrated to Canada, where she took a job as a publicist for the Canadian Food Board.She started out as a clerk on the "Toronto Daily News" and rose quickly to become a bylined reporter.