Francie Arnett was born on January 28, 1952, in Wheeling, West Virginia. She grew up in St. Clairsville, Ohio, in a house built the same year she was born. Francie is of Polish descent, with all four grandparents having ties to Poland. Both her grandfathers immigrated from Poland, while her grandmothers were born in the United States to Polish parents. Francie was raised in a close-knit, extended family, participating in various family celebrations and reunions. She attended Catholic schools for twelve years, from grade school in St. Clairsville to high school in Lafferty, Ohio.