Nora Lee Sherwood Ingle, writer, reporter, and radio homemaker, was born to John Wesley and Effie Sherwood in 1926. She was the youngest of eight children. The family lived in Clay, Iowa, southeast of Knoxville. She married Vern Ingle in the midst of World War II.

In 1975, Ingle began free-lancing for the Marion County News, writing a regular feature titled “From Aunt Clara’s Window.” The same year, she wrote and printed the book Depression Pie. She also began writing a feature article named “Looking Back” for the Altoona Herald in 1978. In 1983, Ingle started a monthly newsletter titled “Letters from Aunt Clara.” She wrote two versions, one for children and one for adults. Around 250 readers subscribed to these letters, which were published until 2002.

In 1984, Ingle started appearing in radio shows on the KNIA station. She hosted a monthly talk show segment in which she spoke about recipes, and soon printed a recipe book called KNIA Something Special Cookbook with Soul Food under the name Aunt Clara. From 1985 to 1993, she hosted her own talk show “My Two Cents Worth.” Her third book, Nostalgia, was printed in 1987.