Mary Elizabeth “Tootsie” Pollard Stengel was born on August 25, 1917, in Sylvester, Texas, and was the fourth of five children to Napolean Pollard and Mary Ann Webb Pollard.  She grew up in Sweetwater, Texas, and graduated from Newman High School in 1935 (now Sweetwater High School) where she was voted “Most Beautiful” in her class.  Some of Tootsie’s fondest memories growing up were visiting her grandparents who lived on a farm nearby and listening to her father play the piano wi ...