The Stand Line Continues: Meet Mark Bolte

FROM THIS CORNER
By
Glenna J. Wallace

THE STAND LINE CONTINUES: MEET MARK BOLTE

The June issue of the Shooting Star included an article about Chief Thomas Stand, an Eastern Shawnee Chief from approximately 1881-1883. Little was known about Chief Stand until a group of students from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio under the tutelage of their professor, Dr. Sandra Garner, researched Stand as a class project. Much of the research involved tracing the lineage of Stand and identifying his Eastern Shawnee descendants.

Researching genealogy, tracking descendants is important to us here at the tribal complex. Because many of our tribal citizens left the Oklahoma region years and years ago, and because we live in such a mobile society today where we have tribal citizens living in every one of the 50 states plus some foreign countries, we have come to realize that often times there are many family members who don’t know some, perhaps many of their own kin or anything about them.

Such is the case with Mark Bolte of Grove, Oklahoma. Immediately upon reading the article about Chief Thomas Stand, Mark called tribal headquarters at the Bluejacket Complex stating that two generations of Stands had been omitted from the article—him and his two daughters, Abby and Sheila. Mark was referencing the paragraph just before the paragraph titled Conclusion. Part of that paragraph reads:

“William P. Stand Jr. was the brother of Olive Mary Stand Higbee, as well as the son of William P. Stand and Olive Gill, and the great grandson of Thomas Stand. William P. Stand Jr. was drafted into World War II and registered with the United States military for his service in October of 1940, at 30 years of age. Stand had a relationship with Vivian C. Williams leading to the birth of William E. Stand, who married Carol Jean Harmon; however, record of their lineage discontinues.”

Mark explained that William Eugene Stand was his father and Ellen Loretta Pike was his mother, not Carol Jean Harmon. Mark’s mother later married Mark’s stepfather and Mark assumed his last name of Bolte. It was later that William Eugene Stand married Carol Jean Harmon and they had no children.

Walking into the office with a big grin and so proud that an article had been written about his family, Mark introduced himself then began to refer to a complete collection of family records that he had accumulated throughout the years and brought with him. Birth records, death records, marriage licenses, newspaper clippings—he had it all. He agreed with everything written in the article, clarifying that a grandmother was referenced some places as Vivian and other places as Clydene. He stated both were correct as her name was Vivian Clydene. The only part he disagreed with was the statement that William E. Stand Jr’s lineage discontinues.

Understanding how information was not readily available about him because of his being adopted and his last name becoming Bolte, Mark indicated he has two daughters, Abby born in 1966 and Sheila born in 1967. Neither daughter has married and neither daughter has children, so to his chagrin, Mark acknowledged that his lineage might discontinue.

Genuinely pleased to read about his relatives, Mark asked if I knew any of them. I told him about Alistair Bane who is an accomplished artist and who frequently comes to the tribe and that just a year or two ago I was able to introduce Alistair to members of the Nichols family, Michael and Diana Nichols whom I had met in Portland, Oregon and who are also descendants of Thomas Stand. I went on to say that Michael and Diana now regularly return for the September powwow with other members of their family. At this point Mark really became excited, saying that he wanted to meet as many of these relatives as possible, that he was going to be at the powwow come this September.

So, Banes, Higbees, Stands, Nichols and all those other descendants of Thomas Stand, the welcome mat is out. Plan on attending the powwow in September, meet Mark Bolte and his daughters Abby and Sheila. It’s time for a family reunion. And relatives, if you want contact information for Mark, just call. He gave permission to share, just not on a national basis.

Thanks again to the students who made this additional connection possible.