Ollie Shands was born in Collinwood, Tennessee on May 16, 1906. He was the son of Andrew Jackson "Jack" and Leona (Haddock) Shands. He was the grandson of Solomon Y. and Martha (Goodman) Shands.

He married, Marie Nowlin who was born in the Three Churches Community near Indian Creek in Wayne County on September 25, 1911. She was the daughter of Walter and Nancy Parlie (Shelton) Nowlin. She was the grandaughter of James Stephen and Mary Elizabeth (Sims) Nowlin and Allen Dotson and Eliza Adelaide (Gromes) Shelton.

Ollie lived with his parents for a while near Cypress Inn near the Natchez Trace. Ollie's mother died while he was a youngster and he was adopted by his great aunt and uncle John Martin and Sally (Haddock) Scott. He lived with the Scott's on Indian Creek but kept his own surname. Ollie and Marie both lived at a young age in the Three Churches Community and met while attending school there. When Marie was around 13 the family moved to Collinwood and she started High School there. Ollie and Marie were married on November 21, 1926 under an apple tree near Banjo Branch and Hog Creek. The wedding was officiated by Brother Will Irvin. They set up residence on Indian Creek in an old grocery store building owned by John Martin Scott.

Ollie and Marie became the proud parents of Earl (NMN) Shands on September 1, 1927. In 1928, Ollie moved the family to New Jersey, where Ollie went to work for Dupont. In 1929 the family moved to Collinwood. Ollie began a trucking career hauling lumber for Hassell and Hughes from Collinwood to Nashville. Ollie also worked part-time as a barber. John Scott sold his farm on Indian Creek and moved to the Ovilla Community in Lawrence County in 1929.

Mary Ann Shands their second child was born on April 12, 1930. In 1931, Ollie, Marie, Earl and Ann moved to the Ovilla Community where John and Sally Scott provided them with a ten acre tract of land. Ollie and Marie farmed and raised livestock. Ollie dug and sold ginseng roots, and continued to work as a barber.

Charles Ollie Shands was born on April 24, 1935 and Johnnie Nowlin Shands was born on November 20, 1936, completing their family of four children.

Ollie purchased a 1-1/2 ton truck in 1936 and began trucking again. He hauled gravel, sand, scrap iron, bricks and concrete blocks to various construction sites and businesses in Tennessee and Alabama. He worked as a truck driver during the construction of the Natchez Trace Parkway. Ollie worked as a carpenter in 1940 at Camp Forrest in Tullahoma. He worked constructing a prison camp in Helena, Arkansas in 1940 and 1941. He became ill in December 1941 and did not recover until August of 1942. He began work as a carpenter, working for the Federal Government constructing various buildings on the Natchez Trace. Marie took a job at Slant & Slant, a shirt factory in Lawrenceburg.

Ollie started construction of a new home on their 10 acre tract in 1949. He completed the structure in 1952.

He died on March 30, 1966 in his sleep of heart failure. He was buried at McGlamery Stand in Collinwood. Marie remarried in 1969 to Oren Ollie Beck and resided in Ethridge and Lawrenceburg until her death on April 13, 1989. She was buried alongside Ollie Shands at McGlamery Stand in Collinwood, TN.