Neal was born near Clayton, Texas, and was the daughter of William Lafayette and Martha (Gholston) Neal, who had both come to Texas from Georgia in search of better opportunities. Second of four children, she lived in nearby Carthage for much of her life. It was in Carthage that she had her first encounter with state politics, when Governor of Texas John Ireland came to speak in 1885 or 1886; she would later speak of the impression which his visit had made on her. She attended Sam Houston State Teachers College, but did not graduate. She spent a short time teaching in her native Panola County and in Fort Worth before returning to Carthage in 1903; even so, she retained an interest in education for the remainder of her life. Her return was due primarily to the failing health of her mother. Her father had purchased the local weekly newspaper, the "Texas Mule", and she became its editor and publisher. She renamed it the "East Texas Register" and helmed it until its sale in 1911. She was one of the first women in Texas to publish a newspaper, and was known for her progressivism. Neal was heavily active in local civic affairs from early in her career. In 1921 she became the first woman on the board of regents of State Teachers Colleges, remaining in the position until 1927. She chaired efforts in her district to gain women's suffrage, and was the first woman in the county to vote. First woman on the State Democratic Executive Committee, she was a delegate to the 1920 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. She also was a board member of the Texas Society for Crippled Children.