Renee Willene Geboe was born in Ottawa County, Oklahoma to parents John Chartis and Lucy Bearskin Geboe. Willene, as she was known, was the third of five children born into this family. Her father, according to family lore, was born in Kansas of French-Canadian heritage, but he was adopted into the Peoria Indian Tribe as a young man. Her mother, Lucy, was a full blood American Indian of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe.
Although both the Social Security Death Index and the California Death Index shows Willene as having been born in 1916, there are numerous documents within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U S Indian Census Rolls, that shows her birth year as 1911. The U S Indian Census was taken every one to two years, and her age and birth year never varied on these documents. The U S Federal Census taken in 1920 shows her to be 8 years old, which would make her birth 1911, or 1912. Therefore it appears the 1916 birthdate is incorrect.
In the early 1930's Willene moved to Phoenix, Arizona to teach. She became the Assistant Matron of the U S Indian Vocational School while she was in residency there. She worked at the school until the mid 1930's before she moved back to Oklahoma.
Willene married in 1942. Her husband was James F. "Jim" Spangler from Lansing, Michigan. James, born in Illinois, was the son of Edwin Alexander and Susan Arlene Racey Spangler. Willene and Jim were married at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he was stationed in the military at the time. He served in the Army National Guard during World War II as a Private in Field Artilery.
After Jim was released from the Army on July 17, 1945, he and Willene left Missouri and moved back to his home in Michigan for a time. By 1956, the couple had left Michigan with their family and were living in Glendale, California, where they raised their three boys.
Willene died in 1978 and was laid to rest at Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills. After her death, Jim moved back to Michigan where he passed away July 26, 2006 at 90 years of age. His burial plot is unknown.
Although both the Social Security Death Index and the California Death Index shows Willene as having been born in 1916, there are numerous documents within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U S Indian Census Rolls, that shows her birth year as 1911. The U S Indian Census was taken every one to two years, and her age and birth year never varied on these documents. The U S Federal Census taken in 1920 shows her to be 8 years old, which would make her birth 1911, or 1912. Therefore it appears the 1916 birthdate is incorrect.
In the early 1930's Willene moved to Phoenix, Arizona to teach. She became the Assistant Matron of the U S Indian Vocational School while she was in residency there. She worked at the school until the mid 1930's before she moved back to Oklahoma.
Willene married in 1942. Her husband was James F. "Jim" Spangler from Lansing, Michigan. James, born in Illinois, was the son of Edwin Alexander and Susan Arlene Racey Spangler. Willene and Jim were married at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he was stationed in the military at the time. He served in the Army National Guard during World War II as a Private in Field Artilery.
After Jim was released from the Army on July 17, 1945, he and Willene left Missouri and moved back to his home in Michigan for a time. By 1956, the couple had left Michigan with their family and were living in Glendale, California, where they raised their three boys.
Willene died in 1978 and was laid to rest at Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills. After her death, Jim moved back to Michigan where he passed away July 26, 2006 at 90 years of age. His burial plot is unknown.
Renee Willene Geboe was born in Ottawa County, Oklahoma to parents John Chartis and Lucy Bearskin Geboe. Willene, as she was known, was the third of five children born into this family. Her father, according to family lore, was born in Kansas of French-Canadian heritage, but he was adopted into the Peoria Indian Tribe as a young man. Her mother, Lucy, was a full blood American Indian of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe.
Although both the Social Security Death Index and the California Death Index shows Willene as having been born in 1916, there are numerous documents within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U S Indian Census Rolls, that shows her birth year as 1911. The U S Indian Census was taken every one to two years, and her age and birth year never varied on these documents. The U S Federal Census taken in 1920 shows her to be 8 years old, which would make her birth 1911, or 1912. Therefore it appears the 1916 birthdate is incorrect.
In the early 1930's Willene moved to Phoenix, Arizona to teach. She became the Assistant Matron of the U S Indian Vocational School while she was in residency there. She worked at the school until the mid 1930's before she moved back to Oklahoma.
Willene married in 1942. Her husband was James F. "Jim" Spangler from Lansing, Michigan. James, born in Illinois, was the son of Edwin Alexander and Susan Arlene Racey Spangler. Willene and Jim were married at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he was stationed in the military at the time. He served in the Army National Guard during World War II as a Private in Field Artilery.
After Jim was released from the Army on July 17, 1945, he and Willene left Missouri and moved back to his home in Michigan for a time. By 1956, the couple had left Michigan with their family and were living in Glendale, California, where they raised their three boys.
Willene died in 1978 and was laid to rest at Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills. After her death, Jim moved back to Michigan where he passed away July 26, 2006 at 90 years of age. His burial plot is unknown.
Although both the Social Security Death Index and the California Death Index shows Willene as having been born in 1916, there are numerous documents within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U S Indian Census Rolls, that shows her birth year as 1911. The U S Indian Census was taken every one to two years, and her age and birth year never varied on these documents. The U S Federal Census taken in 1920 shows her to be 8 years old, which would make her birth 1911, or 1912. Therefore it appears the 1916 birthdate is incorrect.
In the early 1930's Willene moved to Phoenix, Arizona to teach. She became the Assistant Matron of the U S Indian Vocational School while she was in residency there. She worked at the school until the mid 1930's before she moved back to Oklahoma.
Willene married in 1942. Her husband was James F. "Jim" Spangler from Lansing, Michigan. James, born in Illinois, was the son of Edwin Alexander and Susan Arlene Racey Spangler. Willene and Jim were married at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he was stationed in the military at the time. He served in the Army National Guard during World War II as a Private in Field Artilery.
After Jim was released from the Army on July 17, 1945, he and Willene left Missouri and moved back to his home in Michigan for a time. By 1956, the couple had left Michigan with their family and were living in Glendale, California, where they raised their three boys.
Willene died in 1978 and was laid to rest at Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills. After her death, Jim moved back to Michigan where he passed away July 26, 2006 at 90 years of age. His burial plot is unknown.
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