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 Sandy's paternal Grandmother was Northern Cheyenne. Bands of the tribe migrated from the Great Lakes area then settling in Montana. The Tribe refers to themselves as Tsis Tsis Tas which means the beautiful people.
Betty was born to David T. Gillispie ( an Irishman) and Sara Long Chin. In the late 1800’s. She was become the wife of Oliver Swallow Oglala Lakota.
When they married they settled at Oelrichs SD and the Pine Ridge Reservation. To this marriage eight children were born. Sandy's Dad Woodrow was the youngest.
Sally Bush Mills is Sandy’s maternal great grandmother. Who was Oglala Lakota. She 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. They 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 widowed at a young age. Later She was among the band when Crazy Horse surrendered at Ft. Robinson. (Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger, P. 34, 64, 129, and Page 142) Sally and her family eventually ended up at the Pine Ridge Reservation.
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 (Ikhu Hanska) a Northern Cheyenne was Sandy’s paternal great grandmother. She married an Irishman David Talon Gillispie. Her Grandson (Uncle John Swallow) stated she never learned English but understood it. She was with Crazy Horse’s band when he came into Ft. Robinson in 1877. Sara became an enrolled member of the Oglala Tribe when her family moved to the Pine Ridge Reservation. Death: May 1929.
