When we were young, we had Grandparents around us all the time, My Fathers Dad had died about 6 months before I was born, but my Mothers Dad we called him “Poppa Crow” was a favorite of mine even from the age of about 2 I began to pick up on everything and everybody around me but I would never forget Poppa Crow because he would pick me up and carry me around and talk to me about going outside and talk to me about the Trees and Birds and such, he was born about 1879 and i was 2 in 1953 so that made him a few years old. He wasn’t a very tall man, I remember my Father Charles. L.McDowell Jr. was just under 6 ft. but taller than Poppa Crow. I remember he had Black Hair like my Mother, and Momma Crow her Mother and a full head of hair, all of mother’s Family did too as well, & this confused me because my Dad had Dark Red Auburn Hair, Poppa Crow was a Conductor and later a Switchman for the N.C.&St. L. Railroad and the L. & N. Railroad like my Dad and Uncle Jimmy. Momma Crow was about 17 yrs. old when she married Poppa Crow (Walter Napolean Crow, ie: “Poley” Crowe as he was called) she was a mild Mannered and Quiet type of Person but cared for all of us when she was around. We used to love her Cooking, Fried White Corn, Hominy, Squash, White Beans or Pintos, all kinds of Greens and Fried Water Corn Bread, Fluffy Bread she would bake like a Cobbler (later known as Fry Bread with no filling), “everyone came a runnin” to the Dinner Table when Momma Crow cooked! I never heard her Complain about anything at all, not even when she was sick in bed. I went in to see her but was hesitant and she said,” What’s the matter, are you afraid of me Son?’ I didn’t answer and she told me that she didn’t have any Bad Spirits around her, and “not to worry”! Then she smiled and hugged me.
I had started asking Momma Crow after Poppa Crow died if she was an Indian, because I thought she looked like the ones on TV, with Dark hair turning grey, and Olive colored Skin, and the way she looked in the Face, but she would always find a way to avoid telling me, my Sister Charlotte had thought this too and had similar results….after several attempts to get info out of her , I happened to look down at her feet when I was about 8 yrs old and noticed that her shoes were all worn on the sides and heeled-over then it hit me, she was wearing Moccasins and always did around the house. (Mother always got us Moccasins but found out that we would wear them out too quickly} I told Momma Crow (Mollie “Dolly” Hixon Crow) that her Moccasins were all worn-out! She replied that she knew it, and was going to have to “Send up to the Boundry for some New ones”…well I knew then that she was a Cherokee, and asked her was her Father a Cherokee? She said, with a smile, nodded yes, but “Uncle Billy” had more Cherokee in him”! Later I found out who she was talking about, William Luther Hixon, whose Father Timothy G. Hixon was an Arrow Maker for the Tribe… Uncle Billy’s Brother was James Hixon , and his Son was Momma Crow’s Father Willam Hixon (3) so we put the pieces together. It wasn’t until at a Hixon Family Reunion in Hixon Tn. that I met a man that was sitting with his Arms Crossed with a look of disdain, and a Book of Family info with him, I asked if he was ok and he said yes, but he was upset that he couldn’t find anyone to talk with him about Hixon Cherokee Family…I said I will that’s what I need to find out about. The man’s name was Dennis “Dick” Christopher Ellis as it turned out after some DNA tests called Family Finder at Family Tree Dna Dick & I figured out that we were indeed 1st cousin’s 3 times removed. Dick was nice enough to send Charlotte (who had struck up a rapport with him by email & phone) 3 Affadavit’s from his Grandfather’s Application for the Tribe. as it turned out Dick, his sister and His Daughter were Registered Member’s of the Cherokee Nation and this became the emphasis for our Quest to Acknowledge, Honor, and Re-Connect Our GrandMother’s and Grandfather’s Cherokee Family. We want to know our Culture and meet our Relatives, to come Full-Circle with our Heritage from our Mother’s People. We am from the Old One’s, We are Cherokee, My Name is Charles L. “Chuck” McDowell
Lucetti Francis (Gentry) Richardson. Birth, 12-24-1837. Death 01-09-1922. Husband, Robert P Richardson.
Seloma Sarah Jane Brown was the daughter of William M Brown. She was born in South Carolina in 1780. Supposedly she as a chief’s daughter married a full blood Cherokee man, but he passed away before they had any children. Then, as a widow she was able to marry a Scottish man, John Marion Burchfield.
I will start with what I know…
My dad, Daryl Ross, was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in Pearland until his brother Eddie died and his dad got a promotion at Sears if they moved to Oklahoma City, which they did when my dad was 7. My Papa Guy was born in Lott, Falls, Texas and his dad Burton died when he was 11. He grew up working the farm with his mother and siblings and applied for a hardship license to be able to drive early to make deliveries for the farm and operate the tractor. He eventually went to work for Sears in Houston and met my Grandma Jo Nell Burchfield. My great-grandfather Burton McCutchen Ross was born in Indian Territory, but moved with his mom Virginia Mattie McCutchen (Ross) to Lott, Falls, Texas as a little boy.
From what we have been told all our lives we are in some way related to Chief John Ross. From what we have found through census records and research my great-great grandmother Virginia Mattie McCutchen married two brothers, because my biological great-great grandfather Lee John Ross apparently died after their first two children were born, my great grandfather Burton and his younger brother Lee. Then, she supposedly married Lee’s younger brother John Andrew Ross. We also have found that the GW Ross listed on the census records is George Washington Ross who we believe moved to Texas possibly during the Starr Wars and we have found documentation that he served in the Civil War with Stand Watie. After many years of research my second cousin found that my great-grandfather Lee had moved to Indian Territory because he was employed as an Indian Agent for the Cherokee Nation at the time when my great-grandfather was born. From what I have found at this time (the 1880s-1890s) the Cherokee Nation had the autonomy to elect for the agents to be of Cherokee decent and yet, the US Government also required that they have English education and mixed heritage, which would fit with the supposed lineage of my great-great grandfather Lee.
At this time this is all I know of my Ross family heritage.
I went to the gathering in Florida this last weekend. Enjoyed it a lot. Some of the best was from the dancers from Mexico. I’ll post some pictures here if they’re not too large. I try to shoot on max size at these events in case something small needs to be blown up in size.
I noticed on Gedmatch I inherited more of the Native genes from my dad than my mom. The same is for my brother as well. He inherited the Native genes from my dad and very little from our mom.
My great grandmother was Sarah Jane Townsend Cloud. She was an enrolled tribal member of the Cherokee Nation. Her great, great grandfather was Chief Charles Renatus Hicks. Like many Cherokee he was baptized by the Moravian missionaries and received the name Renatus which means “born again”. He became chief after the death of Pathkiller. Another of her ancestors was Chief Broom who was Chief of Broomtown in the old Cherokee Nation before the Trail of Tears. Sarah’s husband, my great grandfather was James Laomner Cloud. He is a descendant of Bryan Ward, the husband of Nanyehi (or Nancy Ward in English) who was known as the Gigau or “beloved woman” of the Cherokee . Grandfather Cloud was also descended from Chief Old Hop of the old Cherokee Nation before the Trail of Tears.
This story tells of a family who were not indigenous, but their family history intersected with the Cherokee and other tribes. It provides valuable information that may be useful to others.
Francis, Oklahoma was a freight diversion on the Frisco line. It had a roadhouse, car repair, railroad building, Harvey house, the usual small town stores and one large business, the Frisco Mercantile Company. This area had been Choctaw as part of the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit, then in 1837 the Chickasaw were added. Their headquarters are today in nearby Ada. After the civil war the Comanche and other tribes begain raids in the area. Outlaws came too, like gun-for-hire “Killin’ Jim” Miller. With the railroads came more settlers. In those days the Dawes Commission was still completing its work on the “Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes. In 1907, Indian Territory became the state of Oklahoma.
“My wife had a married sister living near Francis, and one day received a letter inviting us on a visit and telling that the F. Merchantile were closing out, and thinking we might buy us in on this.
After talking it over, and letting the changes multiply in our minds, till they looked very alluring, my wife wrote her a letter and went to investigate, leaving me and oldest boy Otto to follow if desirable. And to my surprise in her second letter, she wrote: “Come …. I with Jacob Henson, my sister’s husband’s help have rented an empty store building and am selling merchandise gotten for cost or contract, from the F.M. Co.”.
And the very next day, I and my son Otto, beside me, started, old Mike hitched to our buggy, for Francis. Stopping the first night in McAlister, the next day about noon, at a farmhouse on the bank after crossing a creek, we stopped for dinner on a very nice spot of green grass, about four foot high. And thought, what a fine chance for old mike to fill up. And letting the bridal rains fall to the ground, turned him loose. But that old so and so didn’t take a single bite, but started walking back for Arkansas, watching me if I would come. And when he seen me start, he began to run. I seen he would not let me get hold of him, so I went back to the buggy, put the boy in the best place, some eats in his reach, then explaining that I did not know how long I might be gone, but for him not to get out of the buggy till I got back to him, under no conditions. I then run to where I thought I would strike that creek quickest. Finding it, I crossed, walked far enough so I believed old Mike could not see me, got to that farmhouse and asked for help. They were real nice about it. Advised for me to stay out of the way until they had hold of him, and then after getting on his back, I gave old Mike a chance to show me how fast he could gallop. I found Otto was ok and soon we were on the way again for Francis, and some very busy days. “
