Ann Carol Masson was born Ann Carol Kioseff on Sept. 29, in a year that she preferred to keep private. Ann was born in Waukesha, Wis. Her mother was Hazel (Dohme) Kioseff, and her father was Boyan J. Kioseff, originally of Sophia, Bulgaria.
Ann spent her childhood in Waukesha and in the farm country of eastern Illinois, outside of Champaign-Urbana. In Waukesha, Ann attended Waukesha High School, graduating in 1958. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Waukesha. She was true to the Congregational Church the whole of her life; she loved the community and fellowship. She was gifted with a beautiful singing voice and sang regularly for the congregation, sharing her gift freely with others. Her mother, Hazel, provided a beautiful and loving home for Ann. She grew up with one brother, Donald. She had a close relationship with her mother and her brother that lasted the entirety of her life.