Jennifer Marie Argo was born in Jackson TN, on September 17th, 1937. She is the only child of Christine Ann Sanders, a homemaker, and Horace Logan Argo (1899–1963), a lighting company executive. Her paternal grandfather was Danish and her maternal grandfather was Greek, with her other roots being English and Welsh (both of her grandmothers were Canadians).

Jenny's family moved to Nashville, TN in 1938 when she was a little over a year old, and during the Great Depression. To make extra money, her father would build radios and sell them wherever he could. Since it was the height of the Depression, and hardly anyone had a sizable income, he would trade the radios in exchange for other goods, including dogs on some occasions.

Jenny attended the elementary School in Nashville, and Poppy Hills High School, graduating with honors. Her interest in wildlife was sparked by family vacations to the Sierra Nevada. She initially aspired to a career as a forest ranger, but was unable to accomplish this because women were not allowed to serve as rangers at that time. Instead, Jennifer pursued an interest in writing. She wrote and played the lead in a graduation play at Horace Mann School, and discovered her interest in Music. Jenny played the piano at her church every Sunday.