Title: Chaske F. Wicks
Dates: 02-22-1955
Collection Number: 01053
Quantity: 2 items
Abstract: Photographs of Frank Zahn dressed in traditional regalia and an elaborate headdress presenting pipe to General Alfred M. Gruenther, former Allied Supreme Commander in Europe and Joseph Wicks, Sioux County Commissioner from Cannon Ball (ND) escorting Frank Zahn to front of the House Chamber for the presentation. Gruenther was giving a speech on the Crusade for Freedom.
Provenance: The collection was donated to the State Historical Society of North Dakota by Chaske F. Wicks on June 21, 1993. Original Accession number 93AV030. Todd Strand originally added the collection in 1993, Sharon Silengo scanned and added item level descriptions and wrote a finding aid for the collection on March 23, 2015.
Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyrights: Copyrights to materials in this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code and an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements is needed.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
Related Collections:
B1007 Joseph Wicks escorting Frank Zahn to present pipe to General Alfred Gruenther Bismarck ND 02-22-1955
MSS 11142 Floyd Boutrous Papers
MSS 11035 Clarence Norman Brunsdale Papers
Series 31888 Governors’ Office, Edward T. Schafer Papers
Biographical Sketch
Chaske F. Wicks was born on May 9, 1925 in Standing Rock Indian Reservation to Joseph F. Wicks (1903-1955) and Marcella Gayton (1902-1982). He married Belinda Casillas in Los Angeles California on July 29, 1968. He enlisted in the Marine Corps on October 1st, 1942 in Kansas City, Kansas, and was stationed in San Diego, California. He attained the rank of Master Sergeant in 1958 while stationed in Barstow, California. He was discharged from the service on March 31, 1967. He returned to North Dakota after his service and died on February 8th, 1994. He is buried in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan, Morton County, North Dakota.
Joseph F. Wicks (1903-1955) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 11, 1903 to an unknown father and Ella Wicks. His parents died and he was placed in a Catholic orphanage, and then transferred to Mandan, North Dakota where he was overseen by Father Clements and William Langer was appointed his legal guardian. He was adopted by Fred and Eugenia Fix when he was two months old and remained with them for 22 years. In 1930, he was living in Sioux County, North Dakota and was married to Marcella Gayton. They had three children, Chaske, Joseph and Katherine Ann. Katherine died when she was four. He worked as an automobile sales man, auctioneer and farmer. He and Fred Kist founded Kist Livestock Sales Ring. He served on the school board, served as Sioux County commissioner, and served in the North Dakota House of Representatives. He was chairman of the Non-Partisan League advisory committee, an organization of county chairmen. He died on May 2, 1955 in a roll-over accident while driving his tractor in Cannon Ball, North Dakota.
General Alfred Maximilian Gruenther (March 3, 1899 – May 30, 1983) as a four-star General after World War II, served as the Supreme Allied Supreme Commander (SACEUR) in Europe from 1953 to 1956. After World War II, he became deputy commander of U.S. forces in Austria in 1945, and was appointed supreme allied commander in Europe/commander-in-chief of the U.S. European Command in 1953, serving in that capacity until his retirement in 1956. General Gruenther retired from military service in 1956. After retiring from the Army, he served as president of American Red Cross from 1957 to 1964 and was a member of the Draper Committee. General Gruenther spoke in front of the North Dakota House of Representatives and at a ND Crusade for Freedom event at the Apple Creek Country Club.
Sources:
Ancestry.com: U.S. Public Records, U.S. Social Security Index, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958
Hinton, May E. South of the Cannon Ball: A History of Sioux, The War Bonnet County. Selfridge, N.D.: Hinton 1984.
Legislative Index, North Dakota House of Representatives Index
Mandan Daily Pioneer. Tuesday Feb 22, 1955, p. 01
Mandan Daily Pioneer. Wednesday Feb 22, 1955, p. 01
Mandan Daily Pioneer. Tuesday May 3, 1955, p. 01
Mandan Daily Pioneer. Wednesday May 4, 1955, p. 09
PHOTOGRAPHS INVENTORY
01053-01 Frank Zahn presenting pipe to General Alfred Gruenther, Supreme Allied Commander Europe World War II in the North Dakota House Chamber. Gruenther was giving a speech on the Crusade for Freedom. Bismarck (ND) February 22, 1955
01053-02 Joseph Wicks escorting Frank Zahn into the North Dakota House Chamber to present a pipe to General Alfred Gruenther. Bismarck (ND) February 22, 1955
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