Jimalee Burton facts for kids

Jimalee Chitwood Burton (born Jimalee Chitwood, January 23, 1906 – 2000) was an American writer, artist, and speaker. She was also known by her Native American name, Ho-Chee-Nee. Jimalee said she had Cherokee and Creek family roots.

Jimalee's Early Life

Jimalee Chitwood was born on January 23, 1906. Her birthplace was El Reno, in what was then Oklahoma Territory. She was the first child of James Alexander Chitwood and Mary Caroline Burger Chitwood.

Jimalee said her father had Cherokee family. He was a rider for the Pony Express. He moved to Oklahoma Territory from Texas during the Land Rush of 1889. Jimalee also said her mother had Creek and Cherokee family roots.

Her Amazing Career

The Ho-Chee-Nee Chapel at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Park Hill, Oklahoma.

Jimalee Chitwood Burton was a talented artist. In 1949, her oil painting called Buffalo Dance was shown at a special art competition. This competition was for Native American painters at the Philbrook Museum of Art.

Jimalee was the first woman to show her art at this event. She also won a "Third Purchase Prize" for her painting. Another one of her oil paintings, How the Boy Medicine Came to the Kiowas, is now at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Jimalee was also a very active writer. In 1979, she released a book called Indian Heritage, Indian Pride: Stories That Touched My Life. This book was a collection of her poems, stories, and traditional tales.

She promised that all the money she earned from the book would go to build a special chapel. The Cherokee Heritage Center Memorial Chapel was built in 1976 in Park Hill, Oklahoma. Jimalee also worked as an editor for a newspaper called The Native Voice for fifteen years.

Personal Life and Family

Jimalee Chitwood married Dan "Smiling Dan" Burton in 1933. Dan was a well-known radio personality. They were married until his death on May 10, 1954. Jimalee and Dan did not have any children together. However, Dan had a son from an earlier marriage.