Jack Ernest Saari was born and raised in Kemmerer, Wyoming. His father was an immigrant from Finland and his family worked in coal mining. He graduated from high school in May 1946 and joined the army later that year. Since he knew how to type, he was given clerical work. He returned home, married, and went to school to become an interior designer. He was on the army reserves when the Korean War began, so he was called to service. He had one daughter and his wife was pregnant with another when he went to Korea. When he returned, he worked on pipelines in Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, and Colorado. He and his wife had four children overall. They all joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.