Evelyn (Standlee) Youngblood
Evelyn (Standlee) Youngblood (Isaac Jackson Standlee5, Joseph Standlee4, John Standlee3, Onicypherous Standlee2, John Standlee1) is a 6th generation descendant of a true pioneer, John Standlee (1745-1820) from Bradford, England. There is much written about the Standlee's involvement in the settling of Arkansas. (See "Western Arkansas Biographies and Historical Memoirs") In 1778 John Standlee and others explored the country along the Arkansas River, he selected a spot of ground and returned 36 years later to build a home on the very spot and lived there until his death in 1820. He and William Standlee built the first sawmill and grist mill in 1818 in Faulkner County, Arkansas.
Joseph Standlee (1841-1894), Evelyn's grandfather, was one of four brothers all of which were Baptist preachers, at some point in their lives, in and around Carroll County, Arkansas.
Evelyn Standlee was born the summer of 1913 to Isaac Jackson Standlee (1879-1950) and Mary Elizabeth Oxford (1889-1966) at Pryor, Mayes County, Oklahoma. Evelyn's parents were both from Arkansas, her dad from Berryville, Carroll County and her mother from Searcy County. They made the move to Oklahoma in 1909. Evelyn had four brothers; Therlo (1905-1969), Clare Glenn (1908-1974), Darrell Dee (1909-1978), and Joseph Adrian (1915-1975). She lived most of her young life around Adair in Mayes County.
Evelyn was married 14 Jul 1929 to James Lewis Elliott (1907-1973) also of Pryor and they moved to San Francisco, California where Jim took a job with the Frisco Railroad as a conductor on the streetcar. They had two children; Evelyn LaVena Elliott now residing in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Joseph Orville Elliott now residing in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Evelyn and Jim divorced in 1938 and she returned to Oklahoma with EL and pregnant with Joe. She lived in Claremore with her mother.
She met Paul Youngblood (1915-1977) and they married 2 Jul 1939 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They lived in Claremore and had two children; David Standlee Youngblood and Mary Louise Youngblood, both now residing in Tulsa. Oklahoma. Paul had one son from a previous marriage: John Millard Youngblood, now residing in Phoenix, Arizona.
Paul and Evelyn moved to Tulsa in 1950. He was a front end mechanic for the Bill White Chevrolet Company and she was a homemaker. Paul passed away in 1977. Evelyn has continued to make her home in Tulsa and just last year was invited to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Wayne Holeman.
Evelyn suffered a heart attack and underwent heart surgery in 1990 but recovered beautifully. She will celebrate her 90th birthday next summer and is blessed with a sharp mind and a wit to match. She still drives an automobile and socializes with friends and family and remains independent.
Written and submitted by Mary (Youngblood) Holeman
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