Anita was born on May 2, 1933 in Columbus, Ohio. On her 18th birthday, she enlisted in the U.S. Army. After basic training she was assigned to the Signal Corps, and was stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia. Her duties included working as a cryptographer at the Pentagon translating sensitive and secret military communication. There she met her husband, Ralph Bishop, also an Army Private in the Signal Corps.

Anita and Ralph were married on November 14, 1952 and after leaving military service, they resided in Arlington, Virginia. In 1960 they moved to Annandale, Virginia where they resided until 1980. Anita held various jobs including working for the telephone company and as an office manager. She spent many years as a homemaker, raising her children, and volunteering for organizations such as Scouting and Band Boosters.