Family History
This is Sandy’s parents Woody Swallow and Ethel Mills. Both born on the Pine Ridge reservation and grew up about 40 miles from each other. They met for the first time is Oregon during World War II. He had been at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed by the Japanese. She went to Oregon to help the war effort by riveting on ships. They met at a bar that was frequented by South Dakota people. They were married in Chadron NE when he was on leave from the Navy.
This is a picture of Sandy’s grandfather Oliver Swallow Oglala Lakota or Sioux. He was sent away to be schooled at the Lincoln Institute in PA as at that time the government wanted to see if they could educate the American Indians. He was in PA from the age of 11 to 17. He looks to be about 17 in this picture and was on the “Indian” baseball team. In later years he went to Washington DC to be an interpreter for the Oglala’s. His mother was Lizzia Iote Lakota and his father was Eli Swallow a Frenchman. His father Eli was galvanized soldier from Louisiana. He was a confederate soldier and was captured by the Union Army. He was then given the choice of staying in the Union Prison or going to the Dakotas to fight the Sioux.
Betty Gillispie-Swallow was Northern Cheyenne. Sandy’s grandmother born in the late 1800’s was the wife of Oliver Swallow. Her dad was Irish and her mom was Cheyenne.
Sally Bush Mills is Sandy’s maternal great grandmother. She was Oglala Lakota and married Benjamin Buchner Mills. It is believed that he came from England. They were both present at the signing of the Ft. Laramie treaty in 1868. It is belied that she had close ties with Red Cloud as he requested that Ben Mills be made the Superintendent over what was to be known as the Pine Ridge reservation. She was also with Crazy Horse when he surrendered at Ft. Robinson. (Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger, P. 34, 64, 129, and Page 142) She was widowed at a young age.
Deer Woman was my maternal great grandmother and was Southern Cheyenne. Many of my relatives are from Oklahoma. She married Alex Adams from Pine Ridge.
Victoria Adams was Sandy’s maternal great great grandmother, she was Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge reservation. She married David Adams an early day fur trader and her nick name was Grandma Shorty
Joe Adams with the head dress was always called Grandpa, but really he was a great Uncle. My Mom ,the little girl on the left, said he only spoke Lakota. Sidney Mills and Marcella Mills are the other two children. This picture was taken sometime in the early 1920’s.
Sara Long Chin was Sandy’s paternal great great grandmother. She was Northern Cheyenne and was in Crazy Horse’s band when he surrendered at Ft. Robinson in 1877.
