Marilyn Thornton Schraff, author, artist and educator was born in San Francisco, California. At a young age, she moved with her parents to their native county in rural Southern Ohio and grew up there with a love for the scenic beauty of the land, animals, vegetation, and people. She graduated magna cum laude from Ohio University with a M. Ed. and continued post graduate studies at Ohio State University. Marilyn and her husband, Fred, currently live in Cleveland.