Karoline Eleanor "Carrie" Riebel was born on Wednesday, August 5, 1891 in Hammonton, Atlantic County, New Jersey. She was the third of the eight children of Julia (Rehmann) and John J. Reibel.

She was baptized as Karoline Eleanor Reibel.

In the 1900 census, she, her parents and siblings were living on Twelfth Street in Hammonton.