Delbert was born into a small settlement along what was known as Blaine Creek. There was a waterfall which served to run a grist mill. This settlement was made up of log cabins that were mostly one room affairs. It was a period when you either, grew, raised or bartered for what was needed to live. The wage was often ten cents a day when work could be found. This was where he spent his formative years, went to school, graduated from high school. Then he went on to several jobs, such as driving a gasoline tanker, working in a oil field cleaning out oil storage tanks, and working on the building of US Route 23. He finally figured out that he needed to find a better way so he prevailed upon his mother and she gave him $50 and sent him on his way to Morehead State Teachers College. He graduated at or near the top of his class. He began teaching in a one room school house with grades one through six. He finally moved on to teaching math at Louisa High School in Louisa, Kentucky He spent several years there and finally went on to become a Special Agent with the United States Civil Service Commission. He moved from Kentucky to Washington, DC and then Baltimore, MD. He spent the war years investigating prospective workers for the shipyards. His next job was as a Special Agent for the United States Internal Revenue Service. He spent the remainder of his career with this Service. He lived in Kenova, West Virginia, Parkersburg, West Virginia, Michigan, Milwaukee and finally Cincinnati, Ohio.