Mary Ann Carroll was born in Sandersville, Georgia, moving to Fort Pierce, Florida, when she was eight. She dropped out of school after the ninth grade, eventually married, and worked as a carpenter, landscaper, house painter and electrician among other jobs to support her growing family. In the early 1960s, she met Harold Newton, Alfred Hair, and other Highwaymen artists. Carroll was particularly taken by Newton’s artistry, and with his support she began to paint her own works.

By the time her marriage failed in 1976, she was making a living from the sales of her paintings and was the primary provider for her seven children. As a woman of faith and a busy parent, she did not socialize with the other artists during off-hours. Instead, her energies went toward singing in the church choir and building her own ministry. Mary Ann Carroll was the sole Highway-woman.