Cora Rozendaal was born Oct. 9, 1912, in the village of Pietrman, near the town of Swyndrecht in southern Holland. Her family consisted of two brothers, two sisters, and a half-sister. Her parents were Peter and Maggie Kool Van Gilst. Her mother died when Cora was 5 years old.

When Cora was eight years old she and her family moved to the United States. They traveled by ship for nine days across the Atlantic Ocean. The family was sponsored by her Dad’s uncle. Upon arriving in the states, her father worked on the farm of Barnie Dunsbergen from May 1920 until March 1921. He then started farming for himself in the Killduff area.

Cora received her early education at a school in Holland and after moving to Iowa she attended the Springhill Country School, Jackson School, and McKinney School where she graduated from the eighth grade in 1926. After her schooling she stayed at home to help with the farm work and household chores.