Parents: Norma Bigtree and Jack Groverland
Norma was born on January 14, 1943 to Norman and Mary Bigtree (nee Wolniak) in Syracuse, NY. Norman Big Tree (05/10/11 - 03/26/71) was a full-blood Iroquois Indian born on the Onondaga Reservation (need fact check). Norman was a machinist for the Chrysler Corporation until his death in 1971. Norma was the eldest of three daughters, followed by Jeanne Bigtree (now Bagi) and the youngest Sandra Bigtree born. When Sandra was just one, the three sisters started performing together as the Big Tree Sisters
Norma met Jack Groverland in the early 1960’s and they appeared in off-Broadway productions together in New York City. Norma starred in Curley McDimple (a Shirley Temple spoof) from November 22, 1967 to January 15, 1970. Del was born in April 1970. Norma would have been about midterm when the play closed.
When “Tent Revival” preaching became popular in the 1960’s, Norma and Jack suddenly found God and ditched the theater for the tent. It’s not clear why Del does not have his father’s last name.
Chief John Big Tree
Del is also the Great Grandson of Indian Chief and Hollywood screen actor John Big Tree aka Isacc Johnny John who appeared 59 Hollywood films between 1915 and 1950 and was the model for the Indian Chief on the head of the nickel coin.
Or is he? Newspaper articles report that Norma Bigtree was the granddaughter of a Mohawk chief who’s visage adorns the nickel coin (5). But an obituary of John Big Tree (6) says he never had any children. Forum posts on a genealogy website have similar discrepancies. A woman who went to school with Norma reports that she was the granddaughter of Chief Johnnie but later forum reports say that articles about John Big Tree indicate he did not have a family (7). Plus the difference in spelling from Big Tree to Bigtree. So which account is true? In typical showbiz fashion, the truth is lost when the agenda is to sell an image.