Sarah A. Indian Saw-pe-quah Goodell

  General Notes:

Note: Sarah Goodell's father had a trading post at the Sac and Fox Sub-Agency, originally in Iowa a nd then at Quenemo, Osage Co, Kansas. Her Sauk mother, Julia A. Goodell (1815-1880) was a su rvivor of Black Hawk's band and a revered elder. After the death of her first husband, Willi am Whistler; she married Henry A. Pennock but the marriage ended in divorce and she reclaime d the Whistler name. She owned a store at the Sac and Fox Agency in Indian Territory (Oklaho ma). In November of 1893 her store was held up by the Zip Wyatt gang. Her total loss was ab out $470.


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MRS. SARAH A WHISTLER, government Indian interpreter at the Sac and Fox Agency, was appointe d to this position in 1907, but during a number of years previously she had been in the gove rnment employ as a teacher in the Indian school here, and her ability and fitness for leaders hip there led to her present important position. She is numbered among the Oklahoma pioneer s of 1884, and is a native daughter of Iowa. Her father, John Goodell, was born in Connecticu t, but was reared in the state of New York, and although a white man he in time became thorou ghly familiar with the language, manner and customs of the Indians and served a.s a governmen t interpreter in Iowa and Kansas for a number of years. His wife to whom he was married in Bu rlington. Iowa, in 1840, was of French and Indian blood, and previous to her marriage to Mr . Goodell her name was Mrs. Julia Mitchell, she Having married an Indian trader. She is spoke n in the history of the Black Hawk war as the woman, who in 1832 swam the Mississippi river w ith her babe on her back. This daughter is now Mary Keokuk, the widow of Chief Keokuk, a woma n hale and hearty at the age of seventy-eight years and a resident of this village. She was b orn in Wisconsin in 1828, on the Skunk river. She was adopted by Dr. Moore, a surgeon in th e U. S. Army, and was ducated in Philadelphia. Chief Keokuk died at the agency here at the ag e of eighty-eight years. Mrs. Goodell also died at the government agency here at the age of s eventy-five years. In her early life Mrs. Whistler received an excellent educational trainin g in the mission school at Westport, Missouri, and when but fifteen years of age she gave he r hand in marriage to William WThistler, who was born at the historic old Fort Dearborn in Il linois. When a lad of thirteen he came to Kansas and in time became one of the most prominen t imen of the state in those days. He served the commonwealth as a legislator and later wa s a candidate for state senator, but death cut short his life so full of richness and brigh t promises in its early prime. lie was but thirty-eight years at his death, and he left thre e children, two of whom are living, Mrs. Gertrude Kirtley, residing east of Cushing, Oklahoma , and Leo Whistler, of the Sac and Fox Agency. Mrs. Whistler is a woman of unusual business a nd executive ability, her advice being often sought and freely given, and being courteous an d pleasing in her manner she has won many friends in Oklahoma.

Sarah married Hon William Whistler on 28 Dec 1859 in Minneola, Clark Co, Kansas.

Sarah next married Henry A. Pennock.