Sears Family (2011)

The Sears family descendants are vast in our area and can be traced to two early pioneers who came to our part of the country when it was still Indian Territory. Perhaps the Sears’ most notable ancestor is Joseph Hardin Bennett, who set up and ran a trading post amongst the Osage Indians near Silver Lake in 1860, making Bennett the first white man to settle in this territory.

Another key figure in the Sears family legacy is Captain Henry Sears who fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Nearly killed in battle, Captain Sears survived and settled on the Candy Creek in the Osage nation in 1894 where he became a farmer and rancher. His life was dedicated to furthering community progress and education.

The many Sears descendants have followed in the footsteps of their ancestors – believing that giving time and resources to better the land, the community, and their fellow citizens is their duty. The Sears family tree spreads wide over our part of the state, with members making a difference in many different walks of life.

The Sears Family continues to serve with brothers Doug, Joe and Earl Sears. Doug Sears is an active part of the ranching community in our area; Joe Sears is a nationally recognized performer; and Earl is a long-time educator and administrator and currently serves as a State Representative for Bartlesville. The three brothers model a lifestyle of giving back to the community, and work to represent the Sears family legacy of loving the land and its people.