Francine Olivier-Wilson was born, 3rd youngest of 9 children, in Saint Felix de Valois in Quebec, Canada. Her family
immigrated to the United States to find work when she was two years old. She grew up speaking French at home and
English at school.
Her mother was a member of the Marion family from Saint Damien in Quebec, Province, Canada. The original Marion
ancestor literally cut down trees to create a road/homestead and also traded lye soap for furs and supplies with the Indian
tribes on the St. Lawrence river. It is that family, the Marion side, that has always had artistic talent. She went
to a Catholic School where they had art every week. She usually won the annual school Art Fair, at least honorable mention, which was the hi-light of her school year.

Francine painted a small canvas in oils of a sparrow at age of about 26 which she later sold at a yard sale. Her brother had
shown her the use of oils and medium. She didn't pick up a brush again until approximately age 50. The pencil sketch
of an apple entitled ‘Still Tastes the Same’ was drawn in the middle of a work day on the back of a completed work sheet
while waiting for her tests to finish running.