Eugenia Eagles[2] was the second of six children born to Edward, of German and French Huguenot descent, and his wife Julia Eagles (née Sullivan), who was of Irish descent.[3] Her birth year – depending on the source – is given as 1888,[4] 1890 (official bio year), 1891,[4] 1892, [5] 1893[6] (death certificate), or 1894.[7] Jeanne, who later changed the spelling of her surname to "Eagels", would later claim that her father was a Spanish architect and she was born in Boston. In reality, she was born in Kansas City, Missouri and her father was a carpenter.[8]