Dema E. Harshbarger è nata a [[Knox]], nell'[[Illinois]], unouna dei sette figli di Richard Henry Harshbarger e Sarah Belle Lewis Harshbarger.<ref>Dema E. Harshbarger, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8DLmAAAAMAAJ&dq=Dema%20Harshbarger&pg=RA5-PA20#v=onepage&q=Dema%20Harshbarger&f=false "My Own Story"] ''Green Book Magazine'' (October 1919): 20-22.</ref> Sopravvisse alla [[polio]] e alla [[febbre reumatica]] in gioventù.<ref name="Hopper">Hedda Hopper, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20703049/dema_harshbarger_1964/ "There'll Never Be Another"] ''Los Angeles Times'' (February 24, 1964): 62. via [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspapers.com Newspapers.com]</ref>. Ha frequentato il Knox College.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KyoUAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA399&dq=Dema%20Harshbarger&pg=PA399#v=onepage&q=Dema%20Harshbarger&f=false ''The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi''] (1908): 399.</ref>. Poco dopo il college, andò in viaggio con la sua insegnante di musica, la signora Parry; le due erano tra i passeggeri salvati nel relitto della RMS Slavonia al largo delle coste del [[Portogallo.]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=RCAN4MNFKJYC&lpg=RA1-PA146&ots=24isHbWGmo&dq=Dema%20Harshbarger&pg=RA1-PA146#v=onepage&q=Dema%20Harshbarger&f=false "Our Young People: Shipwrecked but Saved"] ''The Herald of Gospel Liberty'' (February 8, 1910): 146.</ref>.
