Roland Ernest Cieutat was born on September 28, 1893, to Victor Cieutat and Josephine Spitzfaden. He grew up in St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana and was of medium height with a stout build, with brown eyes and brown hair. At the age of 16, Ernest was working as a clerk at a slaughter house. He had transferred to Cresent City Stockyard Co. by 1917.
Ernest married Marie Weinnig in 1922 and they had two children, Roland Ernest Jr. (1923) and Gertrude (1927). He went back to work for the slaughterhouse and the family lived in Arabi, LA.