Ponteeka Jean Wake Whitley and Charles Fields in the news

Ponteeka Jean Wake Whitley is Junuar Wake’s adopted daughter with his wife, Sarah Wake. Sarah Wake already had a child, Charles Fields, and was divorced from Charles’ father — very uncommon back then! Ponteeka was actually Charles Fields’ daughter, so Sarah Wake’s granddaughter.

Ponteeka’s genetic mother was “Elnora Lula Owen” (1916–1981), originally from Pueblo, Colorado. She had some sort of connection with Native Americans and apparently gave away the children she conceived in marriages with a variety of men. Wanda found some records suggesting that Elnora was born to a father from Houlka in Chickasaw County, Mississippi and a mother from Colorado and at least in the documents Wanda has, Elnora is listed as “Black”.

Ponteeka was born October 23, 1939 and passed away July 15th, 2009, according to this obituary from tributes.com.

According to this online marriage records site, Ponteeka married William E. Whitley in September 16, 1967. The marriage was registered in Monroe County, Indiana.

There are several news articles where Ponteeka was mentioned.

In the Carrier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky:

“Charles and Ponteeka were the only Negro students in Vevay High School. They’d fight for me. I had a wonderful time there I loved it.” Vevay attorney Chester Callis and folks around the courthouse in this small river county all spoke highly of Wake.

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Stepson Charles Fields is now a plumber in Detroit.

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Ponteeka went on to become the first Negro ever to train as a nurse at Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati. She was graduated with high honors.

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An adopted daughter, Mrs. Ponteeka (an Indian name) Whitley, is a nurse at Larue Carter Hospital in Indianapolis.

And there is a newspaper obituary announcement in the Indianapolis Star:

Ponteeka Jean Wake Whitley was born October 23, 1939 and departed this life on July 15th, 2009. She is survived by her husband, her children, 10 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, in-laws, cousins, friends, co-workers and acquaintances.

On the memorial page previously mentioned, someone by the name of  Stacia Horton lists herself as Ponteeka’s daughter and Ponteeka is repeatedly referred to as “Penny”.

A record of Elnora, Ponteeka’s birth mother:

And the upper right of this photo shows Charles Fields, Ponteeka’s birth father: