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Bertram Grant Mitchell was born in Saint Louis, Missouri in the late 19th century. He attended a Christian co-ed liberal-arts college in Parksville, Missouri (near Kansas City) called Park College (now Park University). During his years at Park, he was active in music, theater, sports, and the YMCA. He graduated in 1906, and the quote in his yearbook suggests that he might have been the class clown. By Halloween, he was living in Metlakatla, Alaska with his wife, Faye. In 1907, they had their first child, Eleanor. By the end of 1912, they had their second child, Louise. During this period, Bert worked for the YMCA in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. Bert was interested in Eurasia, and in late 1918, he traveled to Vladivostok, Russia. Soon, the Mitchell family was living in Harbin, China and Bert was the General Secretary of the local YMCA. Harbin was a busy railroad city with an international flavor. According to a newspaper article published circa 1919, “He (Bert) and his wife have rendered valuable service in assisting citizens of many different lands and have had many experiences and adventures.” Russia was in the midst of a civil war, and among other things, Bert assisted anti-Bolshevik refugees who were trying to get to America. He witnessed many historic events including a ceremony in Omsk, Russia in the summer of 1919 involving the Cossack Army and Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak, an Anti-Bolshevik dictator who was executed in February 1920. The Mitchell family left Asia in 1922 and traveled through Europe in 1923 and 1924.