Marilyn Monroe Connect

The Marilyn Monroe Connection

“I was the first male to sleep with Marilyn Monroe.” This is the way that Lester Bolender—a member of the Strickert Family Tree—refers
to the first seven years of his life, when he and Norma Jeane shared a foster home in Hawthorne California.

Norma Jean, Lester, and Ida

Lester’s mother was Pearl Wilken (b. 1909), the (step) granddaughter of Karl Strickert, the youngest of 13 children of William Wilken and
Emilia Kriese (Strickert), who made their home in Colville, Washington. At age 16 Pearl became pregnant. She married Charles Flugel on
August 12, 1926. A week and a half later, while staying in a tent in the backyard of a relative in Hawthorne, California, Pearl gave birth to
a son and gave him up for adoption to Ida and Wayne Bolender, of Hawthorne.

Lester Bolender "first boy friend" and Norma Jean

Pearl kept this a secret until shortly before her death in 1988 when she informed her four adult sons that they had an older brother. When
going through Pearl’s papers and keepsakes, one of Peal’s sisters discovered a 1927 letter from Ida Bolender to Pearl. “Little Norma
Jean is with me. She is the baby girl I had when Lester came. They have great times together. Lots of people think them twins. I dress
them alike at times and they do look cunning. . . They are full of mischief and keep me busy.”

Marilyn's handwriting

On the basis of this letter, the family was able to track down Lester Bolender who was able to travel to Colville, Washington for a reunion
with family members. The Spokane Spokesman Review for October 19, 1990 describes that get together, noting that one of the brothers
refused to recognize Lester as a brother. The next oldest brother to Lester, Milton Flugel died in 1999. His obituary recognizes Lester
as brother (See http://www.strickertfamily.com/Milton_C.html ). Lester died just a short while later in 1999 in Arizona
(http://www.strickertfamily.com/Lester_Bolender.html ).

Two months before Lester came to the Bolender home Norma Jeane Baker was born (June 1, 1926) to Gladys Baker (her father had
been named Mortenson though they divorced a short time later). Lester and Norma Jeane therefore were only a little over two months
difference in age and Ida Bolender notes that people thought they were twins as early photos attest. The Bolenders adopted Lester,
but they never officially adopted Norma Jean. So she remained Norma Jeane Baker.

In 1933, Gladys Baker moved into her own home and took Norma Jeane away from the Bolenders in what was described as a rather
traumatic experience. Gladys then had a break down and her friend Grace McKee became Norma Jeane’s guardian. Lester later
reported that he remained friends with Norma Jeane through young adulthood when she took the name Marilyn Monroe.

Norma Jeane and Lester had a younger foster sister, Nancy Bolender, who is still living and speaks about their childhood. However, it
was only in Pearl’s 1988 revelations that a connection was learned with the Wilken/ Flugel family.

Please Note: Michelle Morgan, author of Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed (2007) is looking for further information about the childhood
of Lester and Norma Jean. If you know anything further, please contact Michelle at Carolelombard@sky.com or myself Fredstrickert@aol.com

Michelle sent me the two attached photos of Lester and Norma Jeane.

For Further information about the Strickert/ Wilken Family connections see

http://www.strickertfamily.com/Wilken_Strickert_connect.html

For Lester Bolender’s place in the Karl Strickert family tree, see

http://www.strickertfamily.com/Karl_Family_Tree.html

For the 1990 newspaper article about Lester’s reunion with Flugel family, see

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19901019&id=1CASAAAAIBAJ&sjid=k_ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5387,6174689

Family Tree

Johann Friedrich Strickert (b. Nov. 1,1806,Weggun-
m. Christina Feuerhak Jan. 27, 1827 (Jan. 28, 1801 Wichmansdorf— Sept 9, 1891, Brodhagen, Canada, do Martin Feuerhak & Dorothee Heise

son: Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Strickert (b. Mar. 22, 1834 Weggun, d. Feb. 3, 1917, Scott City, KS)
- # 1 marriage Mar. 4, 1861, Logan T. Canada Caroline Bach b. Nov.12, 1832 Zohrnek, Prussia, d. Feb. 1862, Logan T. Canada, do Gottlieb and Justina Bach.
- # 2 marriage. Oct. 22, 1865 Gustina Scherbarth , Logan T., Canada, b. Sept. 15, 1840 Bronko, Hungary, d. Aug. 31, 1904, Scott City, KS, do Johan Scherbarth and Ann Markward)
- # 3 marriage. Mary Hanneman, b. 1846, d. 1923, Scott City, KS)
Children of Caroline Bach
- Wilhelm August Strickert (b. Feb. 1, 1862 Logan T., d. Mar. 10, 1862, Logan T. Canada)
Children of Gustina Scherbarth
- Anna Christina Strickert, (b. Jun 8, 1867, Logan T., d. Nov. 5, 1870 Logan T.)
- Daniel Wilhelm Strickert (b. Dec. 17, 1868, Logan T., d. Nov. 14, 1870, Logan T.)
- Maria August Pauline Strickert (b. Dec. 26, 1869, Logan, d. Nov. 24, 1870, Logan).
- Augustina Charlotte Strickert (b. Oct. 30, 1871, Logan, d. Sept. 24, 1896, Scott City, KS)
  - Louise Justine Mahler (b. Apr 20, 1891, Lake, KS, d. Oct. 8, 1920, Kansas)
Step Daughter of Karl Strickert

Emilia Kriese (b. 1863, do John Kriese & Gustina Scherbarth; d. 1948, Wilbur, WA)

m. William Wilken [Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Wilken] (b. 1859, so Frederick & Sophia Ott Wilken; d. 1935, Wilbur, WA)

Caroline (Lena) Wilken (b. 1884, Logan, Canada; d. 1972, Wilbur, WA)
- For Descendents, see Fredrich Strickert & Giermann page
August Carl Frederick Wilken (b. 1885, Logan, Canada; d. Feb. 16, 1967, Spokane, WA)

Carl Wilken (b. April 7, 1887, Logan, Canada, d. Oct. 4, 1916, Govan, WA)

m. Emilia ________

Emilie Wilhelmina Maria Wilken (b. Oct. 17, 1889, Scott City, KS; Mar. 29, 1964, Spokane, WA)
William John Wilken (b. Aug. 23, 1891, Scott City, KS; d. Jan 5, 1978, San Bernadino, CA)
Mary Adolphenia Wilken (b. June 14, 1893, Scott City, KS; d. June 18, 1985, Seattle, WA)
m. June 11, 1913 in Almira, WA to Herman Frederick Hamp (b. Nov. 14, 1885, Rockford, IL; d. Nov. 24, 1927, Wilbur, WA)

Ella Nora Katharina Wilken (b. May 6, 1895, Scott City, KS; d. Jan. 1, 1991, Spokane, WA)

m. Sept. 20, 1920 in Spokane, WA to Henry Gregory Schuster (b. Nov. 17, 1892, Deshler, Ohio; d. July 29, 1983, Spokane, WA)
Alvena Freida Wilken (b. April 14, 1897, Scott City, KS; d. Feb. 8, 1982, Colville, WA )
m. Nov. 14, 1920 in Colville, WA to Harold Conner (b. Dec. 11, 1898, E. Brady, PA; d. Nov. 17, 1954, CA)
Albert Fredrick Wilken (b. May 22, 1899, Scott City, KS; d. Nov. 27, 1980, Spokane, WA)
m. # 1 Aug 5, 1938 in Spokane, WA, to Bonnie Louise Kleeman (b. 1910, Spokane, WA; d. 1940, Spokane, WA)
Martin Herman Wilken (b. April 4, 1901, Scott City, KS; d. March 14, 1948, Beverly Hills, CA)
m. _________ Richards
Rosa Martha Wilken (b. Jan. 20, 1903, Govan, WA; d. July 3, 1998, Spokane, WA)
m. March 23, 1924 in Colville, WA, to John Erik Campbell (b. Nov. 21, 1905, Panima, Canada, so Sheridan Campbell & Hattie Bergstrom; d. Nov. 19, 1992, San Diego, CA)
Elmer Daniel Wilken (b. Jan 1, 1907, Govan, WA; d. Jan 5, 1907)
Pearl Norma Louise Wilken (b. June 6, 1909, Govan, WA; d. Feb. 19, 1988, Coville, WA)
m. Aug. 12, 1926 in Spokane, WA to Carl William Flugel (May 20, 1905, Colville, WA, so Charles Flugel & Kathryn Fogg; d. Aug. 7, 1987, Chewelah, WA)
Lester Bolender (b. 1926, Hawthorne, CA; d. Dec. 31, 1999, Apache Junction, Ariz)
Milton C. Flugel (b. Jan. 15, 1928; d. Oct. 15, 1999, Colville, Washington)
Robert Flugel (Chewelah, WA)
- Bill Flugel (Lewiston)
Jerry Flugel (Fort Bridger, Wyoming)